Though not as consistent as the band's full-length LPs, this two-song, 30-minute EP provides insight into the subtle complexities of
Rachel's' sound. The first track is a new recording of the song "Full on Night," which originally appeared on the band's debut album,
Handwriting. Here, though, the song is almost completely reinvented, with the group's trademark chamber music maturity eventually giving way to daring experimentalism, finally morphing into a grinding noise rock riff you'd never expect from a group with a concert pianist and two violinists. The second track, "The Precise Temperature of Darkness," finds experimental electronic duo
Matmos deconstructing the song even further, blending studio and live performances of the tune with a variety of esoteric samples to create an otherworldly pastiche of sounds totally unrecognizable from the first track. Too weird for newcomers, this EP is recommended for diehard
Rachel's fans only. ~ Bret Love