Prisonshake's 1991 four-song EP,
Della Street, is one of the few recordings from the original
Prisonshake lineup that is still currently in print. The original group released a profusion of singles, but no full-length until 1993's
The Roaring Third, when the only original members remaining were vocalist
Doug Enkler and guitarist
Robert Griffin. The EP is not quite as intense as
The Roaring Third, but the songs are just as strong, and the nonstop intensity is surprisingly displaced by strong melodies and tunefulness. "Carnival Game" boasts a strong vocal line courtesy of singer
Doug Enkler, with its accompanying music being near-
R.E.M. pop. "From Down Here" combines desolate, roaming guitar and bass phrases with yearning vocals, while "Molly" has a slight reggae feel at times. "London/Stuck In St. Louis, 1985" is an adventurous, lengthy number, and although it's not as daring as, say,
Jane's Addiction or
Shudder To Think, it still moves the listener with its mood shifts. It's a shame that the original lineup of
Prisonshake didn't stick around for a few more albums. Fans of finely crafted, unpredictable alterna-pop should definitely check out
Prisonshake's Della Street.