Originally released prior to their 2007 Barsuk debut, Friend and Foe, Menomena's Wet and Rusting EP (on Film Guerrero) contains three versions of the title cut (album, remix, and acoustic), as well as three tracks that don't show up on the full-length: the light and quirky "Walking," the fantastically spacy "Polo" (which has the singers calling out forlornly, "Marco...I come home to you"), and the harmony-laden "Gay A." All three of these new songs fit much in the Friend and Foe vein -- with their layered, looped guitars, the intrusive saxophone, the repetitive, slightly offbeat lyrics contributed by all three of Menomena's members -- in fact, all three could have easily been included on the album, which means that the EP is definitely worthwhile for fans of that record, or that band in general, and the fact that it shows off the versatility of "Wet and Rusting" is just an added bonus.
© Marisa Brown /TiVo