The Secret Machines' debut album NOW HEAR IS NOWHERE proved the band's mixture of '90s indie rock, '60s psychedelia, and present-day stadium-sized rock savvy and appealing. The band's follow-up EP THE ROAD LEADS WHERE IT'S LED offers more of the same. The title track, which kicks off the set, is taken from their debut, and rides a surging, wide-open rock groove that recalls U2 and the Verve, followed by the EP's other original, the driving "Better Bring Your Friends" which opens into a funky, synth-assisted groove at the chorus.
The remaining four tracks are covers, including a power-chord-driven version of Van Morrison's "Astral Weeks," a lugubriously slow take on the traditionally uptempo golden oldie "Money (That's What I Want)," and a lovely, dramatic version of Bob Dylan's "Girl from North Country," complete with spare piano accompaniment and a buzzing synth line. The final cut, a cover of Harmonia's "(De Luxe) Immer Wieder," is the album's best track, highlighting the band's space-rock and Krautrock influences. While not a great leap forward, this stop-gap release should appease fans waiting for the Secret Machines' next full-length.