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I firmly believe that you can't consider an album among your favorites until you've had that one, perfect listening experience. Without that iconic memory and all the trappings that come along with it, CDs get scratched, albums get lost, mp3s deleted. I used to have a copy of the first We All Have Hooks For Hands album. Emphasize the used to. We just never had that moment.

I fancy myself a big fan of having a good time and that's been difficult on some of those late-night holiday weekends in Des Moines. So two years ago on Thanksgiving, despite only considering myself a borderline fan, I talked the sis Molly into running downtown with me to see this six-headed monster. You know, for something to do. Turns out the show was a real bust--one of those nights when there's more people in the band than in the crowd. I loved it. The energy was consistently high, the songwriting consistently strong. They weren't the tightest band I've ever seen, more like a tumbleweed--sharp, bundled and rolling. I had brushed shoulders with a couple of these guys in Vermillion before but this was the first time I had had to chat them up, hang out. It was fun. I bought their new CD because it seemed like the right thing to do.

A couple of days later I was back in the 'burgh getting geared for finals and jazzin' for another trip to Minneapolis. The Shape of Energy sat on my desk, still in the shrink wrap, for weeks until I finally decided to pop it in. I was totally impressed. I think I listened to it two or three times in a row. These guys didn't have hooks just for hands! This was the best guitar driven rock music I had heard that year without a doubt. At the time, I couldn't figure out how to get the album on to my iPod (I realize how stupid this sounds and I have since figured it out), so when I was packing for the break, I made sure to throw the disc in as well.

The next day, Butch picked me up at the airport around 10, 11 a.m. It was in the negatives but sunny--all in all, it felt miles better than Pittsburgh had the night before. We cruised down Lake Street high-fiving. After we grabbed way more beer than we needed, we rolled into the Skinhouse--old stompin' grounds. We cracked a few, told some shitty jokes, revved our engines. Now, if you Jon, you know how much this guy likes to rock. So I asked him if he wanted to listen to this sweet new album I just got. He gave me a "willing but not exactly sure why" shrug and grin. I'd been there, that was the attitude I had about their first album. "Wow. Kids from Sioux Falls. I can suffer through some of it."





Howling and Bellowing, the first track from The Shape of Energy.

Just like that, we were off. I cranked the volume, we shuffled between the couches and the fridge doing Jonny's punchin' dance. Franko woke up and wanted to know who was playing. We listened to it again. I think I played it at a party later that night, too. The first semester of law school was over and the stress of finals were gone. I was days from my birthday, partying with Jon and Franko before noon. I had been away for what seemed like a lifetime and I was more than happy to crawl back into the womb. This was the soundtrack.

Ten songs of electric guitars and piercing vocals built on snare clicks and an undercurrent of acoustic jangle. The first three songs can stand up with anything. "Howling and Bellowing" comes at you like the boys from Double Dragon with its jump kicks and sleeveless shirts. "Be Love, Be Wild," although a touch draggy and fatalistic, is wonderfully disorienting. It can surround my head. Rounding out the trio, "Made Up of Tiny Lights" is huge and I think it's safe to say that when you're listening to it, it's the most important thing coming out of your stereo. To say the rest of the album shambles around doesn't do it justice, but that's kind of what it does. "Records a Stone" conjures turn of the century, Ohio existentialism. The interplay between the winding electric guitars and the atonal violins in "Lessons Burned" displays a developing musical maturity. It's a great album. In fact, last Friday I listened to it with Zerfas and later that night saw that Lance had it on his turntable. It's been out for a year and a half.

I'm not about to say that I can have as strong of feelings for the new EP. I just got it, it's a Friday and I haven't had a good night's sleep in months. So, fresh ears, here we go.

Changes: Whoa, this doesn't sound like the righ...there it is. Nice guitar hook, snappy beat. Those keyboards in the back sound great. I'm still feeling the Ohio comment, it must have something to do with Eli's inflection. Big chorus--that could be a subtitle for the band, actually. First track and we already have a drum solo. Davis once said "drummers have big egos." I'm always amazed at how in sync their two drummer drumming is. Nice bass breakdown followed by an "oh yeah" moment that just doesn't quite explode like I expected. I'd like to hear this played on a steel drum.

Girls: I like the chunky, fuzzy keys. I don't know who these girls are--to notice that they love booze, they must really be drinkers. Here's the girl choir--they don't sound a whole lot different than any other choral groups they've sang with. They could be sexier. "It's not just drinks, it's who we are." Not exactly the highest opinion of girls. Here's a great running guitar line. It sounds kind of like a skier if you could ski on grass in the summer. Hold on, is that Nate Hoffman on the trumpet? For a band whose songs usually build and build and build, that was a nice step back. Foundation for a deck of cards. Yeah, downhill skiing in the summer with grass stains and shades.

Amy's Room: Pretty standard beginning. Are the girls singing background on this one? I notice my foot and head are bobbing--great clicks. To this point, this is the best song on the EP. The ghost voice in the background became an electric guitar--cool. A lot of longing and yearning and craving in this one. Slide guitar into another popping, jumpy electric guitar stroll. The rest of the way it seems like typical Hooks.

Trapped: I want to hear this one at the Buffalo Trading Post if it's still there. I don't know if I would put Eli's voice on top of such a down home ditty but it's not bad, in fact it works pretty well. Is that a jew's harp or a lazer in the background? They're staying truer to the form than I would've guessed and doing it really well. Nice solo. I don't know if I've heard their voices sounding so good together, this is pretty impressive.

Games: This has the end of the EP sound to it already. If I had a problem with The Shape of Energy it would be that it was a little lopsided towards the front. This sounds like a true closer. Not much jumping out at me on this one. It sounds like them. I always appreciate a tasteful party sound clip. I just heard "I'll shake and I'll spark." I don't know if I've heard a better match of voice to lyrics. And one little note at the end.

Off the top of my head, I guess I'd say this is another We All Have Hooks For Hands album. With the exception of those fat keyboard sounds, I think any of these songs would fit in well with the last album. That's not to say there isn't notable progression. For starters, it seems to be more patient. This, mixed with ever present off-the-charts exuberance, makes for some smarter sounding breakdowns where they're more in control. The older material always gave me the feeling that these guys would get together and kind of have a "who can be louder" contest. Here there's more cooperation, in the vocal delivery and the instrumentation. It's not a huge difference but it is noticeable and I think it's going to lead to more rewarding second and third listens. All in all, though, this is the same whiskey/upper buzz fuzz I've come to expect and appreciate. South Dakota Friday nights.

If you're too lazy to scroll back up for the free download link, here's another. Below is the video for "Girls."