AMG Review of Luna EP

Daniel Browne
All Music Guide

The best song here is the one most Luna fans have heard already: "Sideshow by the Seashore" from the band's beloved Penthouse. But true fans know that Dean Wareham and company have a way with a cover as well. For this EP, they offer a crisp reading of Talking Heads' "Thank-You for Sending Me an Angel" and an especially lovely take on the Tom Rush chestnut "No Regrets." The Penthouse outtakes aren't bad either. "The Moviegoer" boasts a wonderfully sardonic lyric and a stinging-then-smoky guitar coda. "It's Bringing You Down," with its gnarly, clanging fretwork, rocks a little harder than the average Luna number. The instrumental track ("The Enabler") is a snooze, though. Nothing here is as revelatory or necessary as the version of "Indian Summer" from the band's first EP, but the four strong, otherwise unavailable songs make it a decent pick for collectors.