Ambulance LTD emerged out of New York with a fresh sound on 2004’s debut “LP.” Needless to say, in a sea full of sound-alikes and neo-new-wavers aiming to be the next big thing, Ambulance was buried from the mainstream underneath the sea of mediocrity – quite a shame considering their album was one of the very best of the year.
While Ambulance wears their influences (everything from The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, and My Bloody Valentine) on their sleeves, they have a distinctly unique style and a knack for writing great songs with great hooks. Like many of the best bands of the past years, Ambulance has a great ability to merge artistic exploration and pop instincts; matching distinctive wall-of-sound musicianship with soaring choruses and backing harmonies.
Having spent the past few years on the road, working hard to promote “LP,” a lot of time has passed and the band has stocked up on new songs. Before they enter the studio to work on a new full-length album, Ambulance has released “New English,” an EP of new material, b-sides, and a cover. Like most stopgap releases, “New English” is not Ambulance’s A-material, but it’s not exactly a shabby hodgepodge either. In fact, it reinforces the band’s talents by showing that even a minor release can best most of the new bands coming out today.
The opening song, the title track, features peppy acoustic guitar and drums with harmonies that chime in perfectly. It isn’t as strong as the material on “LP,” but it does show the band stretching their wings a bit. The second new track, “Arbuckle’s Swan Song,” is more impressive. It immediately stands out as it is the only song written and sung by bassist Matt Dublin. His voice, and the song itself, is a bit more soulful and is a standout both in terms of sound and of song quality.
Following those tracks, the EP delves into semi-familiar territory. A live cover of Pink Floyd’s “Fearless” is fantastic, as Ambulance makes it their own, without tearing it too far away from the original. An acoustic demo of “Heavy Lifting,” one of the stand-outs from “LP,” pares the song down to its base element. However, since the song is mostly acoustic-based, this demo isn’t particularly revelatory. Like most demos that are made public, it doesn’t match the original but it does highlight exactly how great a song it is. The demo for “Sugar Pill,” another incredible song off of “LP,” is a whole different story. From the jungle beat that opens it and the super-fuzz bass line that dominates the song, the recording feels much more like a reinterpretation than a demo. The track lacks some of the production values and extra push that the recording on “LP” provided, but the demo is something very special nonetheless.
“Country Gentlemen” and “Straight A’s,” the two songs that close the EP, both have the feel of a b-side, but they aren’t bad by any means. They aren’t as remarkable as the songs that made the cut for “LP,” but they are worthy additions to the band’s strong repertoire.
“New English,” as a whole, has that feel. It is most certainly a release meant for existing fans. On that level, “New English” is a success, as it does flesh out the band’s sound a bit more, but the songs by themselves aren’t quite on the same level as “LP.” That being said, as a way to get people excited for the eventual second album, “New English” does the job well enough.
