Blueprint

EPs are tricky. They work in whetting fans' appetites for new material, but they rarely function as an effective way of demonstrating a band's sound because they don't require the artists to sustain momentum over the course of an entire album. But sometimes EPs do it, and Boy + Kite's Blueprint EP is breathtaking. With only three tracks and 13 minutes of running time, it goes by quickly, but damn is this a great trio of songs by the Austin, Texas, four-piece. “Either Way” will give you your 1990s-era modern rock fix with melodic guitars and chugging drums balancing against Darvin Jones' steady vocals and Beth Puorro's breathy harmonies. “Turned Sideways” is a dreamy, pop-tinged piece of shoegaze yumminess that will have you wondering whether this is what This Will Destroy You might sound like if they had singers and toned down their rock aesthetic. And “Touching the Sun” is simply a glorious piece of rock music, replete with alternately lush and distorted notes that reach for the heavens and your heart, and with a driving rhythm that will have you dancing in short order. Blueprint might be the dreamy EP of your dreams.