This odds-and-ends EP was built around "Take Me Down," the "emphasis track" from
The Loud Family's debut album,
Plants and Birds and Rocks and Things, released earlier the same year. Along with "Take Me Down," you get "The Come On," which Scott Miller co-wrote with former
Three O'Clock frontman Michael Quercio; a cover of
Big Star's "Back of a Car," which previously appeared on the promo-only cassette Never Mind the Camera Crew, Here's the Loud Family; and three live tunes from radio broadcasts, including
The Loud Family tackling "Erica's Word," a classic song from Scott Miller's old band,
Game Theory. The studio tracks are OK but not especially memorable, while the live songs suggest this band was not caught on one of their better nights. In short,
Slouching Towards Liverpool is nice for fans, but anyone else would be better off with one of the band's studio albums. ~ Mark Deming