Openly referencing the sounds of Britain's "Madchester" scene, Canadian musician
Nathan Hewitt, the mastermind behind
Cheatahs, recorded two EPs in London in 2012 with the help of his bandmates
James Wignall,
Dean Reid, and drummer Marc Raue. Both four-song outings are excellently executed, and give no hints that they were recorded anytime after the 2000s. Additionally, you would never know that
Hewitt is a member of the indie punk group
Male Bonding. Filled with bright guitars and ethereal vocals, the songs on the first, Marshall Teller Records EP, Coared (compiled in tracks five through eight), come closer to connecting with the British psych pop sounds of
Wignall's alternate band,
Weird Dreams. The hooky rush of American groups like
the Lemonheads and
Dinosaur Jr. also comes into play on these slightly sweeter moments, whereas their second EP (for Wichita Recordings), SANS, is just a touch hairier, and delves into shoegaze with thick walls of silky vocals and brittle, driving guitar washes to manipulate their melodies into a noisy but sonically interesting headphone experience. Early albums by
Sloan and
the Swirlies might be a reference point for these first four tracks. While there are subtle recording variances, the two EPs sit well together, and despite being uptempo with blasts of distortion, Extended Plays feels like an easy, breezy listen from beginning to end. Fans of early-'90s alternative radio should be sure to check out the songs "Coared," "The Swan," and "Fountain Park." These hit the golden age of slacker pop right on the mark. ~ Jason Lymangrover