On first listening to Tin Can Radio ’s self-titled debut EP, I am sitting in my friend’s car- two in the back, two in the front- stuck in traffic on a lazy afternoon. I slip the CD into the player. “Listen to this,” I say. None of us have heard it before. But no sooner has the first track started, the talking ceases, and this nattering bunch of silly girls are transported on a wave of cosmic sound to a boundless universe of synth instrumental. The driver awakens from her music-induced speechlessness to remark on the trance she unwillingly snapped herself out of. “Who’d you say this was again? They’re pretty good.”

The five-track EP starts with There Is No Air In Space, a short introductory track which primes the listener for a journey: a journey most likely involving space, time travel, quantum theory, dreams, nostalgic love and, of course, skeletons. The CD crosses genres, mixes genres, and flips them on their backs to create new fusions, which are a delight to the ears.

The tracks flow one from the other, so the spell of silence cast upon you remains unbroken until the very last song is played. Only is the reverie tainted when a bigger desire to sing along kicks in. This is particularly adamant in the songs Chubbies and And Then Nothing. The change from melancholy and sweet lyrics to head bopping and crass rap in Chubbies jolts the system a bit, creating an upbeat intermission to the general pensiveness of the rest of the song.

Third on the CD is the more fast-paced Skeletons- a happy tune that unavoidably gets stuck in your head. For days its extremely catchy riff will whirl around in your mind, until you find yourself blurting it out at inappropriate, and public, times. This song is a quintessential walking-with-your-iPod tune. Just avoid public routes if you don’t want to be embarrassed by the sudden uncontrollable break outs of dancing you will experience.

And Then Nothing is the strongest song on the album. Lead singer, Tom Wearne ’s voice is beautiful, and he narrates the forlorn lyrics well. This song is the kind that manages to relate to every listener on a personal level. As the song starts- “Gone, love washes over me again”- a collective sigh is heard among my friends. They are all looking out the window, some singing quietly to themselves the lyrics they have picked up. Wearne sings to a crescendo: “See the future and then nothing, and then nothing, and then nothing”- and the instruments build up with him, until all are at their peak, and then the sound releases the pent-up energy, like a depleting balloon, or a spaceship shutting down- and we are back to the start. The imagery created by this song is wonderful.

The final song is Epic. The riff is ever so similar to the one used in Skeletons, changed ever so slightly, but equally as catchy. This creates a sense of wholeness to the CD that is further validated by the musical linkages between songs. – œEpic’ displays well the tightness of the band. Their instruments are well in synch, with each layer of sound not clashing, but adding to the overall effect. These guys are experts in creating tension and build-up with their complexities on the keyboard, trumpet, drums, bass and guitar.

There is much praise for this debut. However, one criticism is that the boys seem to have compromised the live feel for a more polished effect. Some may argue that this makes the album seem flat, but others will say this refined sound allows the ears to wander, and pick up on the many intricacies of the musical arrangement. I agree on the latter. Like walking into a knickknack store, every track on display has a unique composition. The layering is complex, but not far removed from the raw performance. The EP is certainly an accurate picture of the band’s live act.

Overall, this is a promising first EP from the band. And, if they continue to make unique music, catchy riffs, and complex but captivating songs- like they’ve achieved on this release- then there will be no trouble in creating loyal and adoring fans. I look forward to following their success.