EP2

Listen to MossEisley's EP2 just once, and you'll understand what made Coldplay (not to mention their management) fall in love with this tiny Texas band. Here are five expertly crafted (if rather underproduced) works that run the gamut from emotionally wrenching rock ballads to alienation anthems.

"Telescope Eyes" made its debut on this EP, and embarked on its destiny to become Eisley's answer to "Creep" and "Yellow." Though it's been rewritten and rerecorded twice since this first appearance, most critics and fans vastly prefer the original. A slow, almost lethargic rhythm gives way to the driving urgency of the chorus, underscoring Sherri DuPree's yearning lead vocals and Stacy's brilliantly subdued harmonies. The mellow bridge and extended solo would unfortunately be discarded in later recordings, but they lend a particular melancholy to this version of the song.

The second track is a quintessential MossEisley song; "Over the Mountains We Go" combines coarse guitar strains with soaring vocals and a transcendant, ambient bridge as Stacy and Sherri sing of a darkened forest and mossy turf. On an album it's a moving experience, but it's even better in a live setting--and fortunately for us, the band continues to include it in most of their sets.

Next is "Head Against the Sky," another song that's been cropping up more and more in Eisley's live shows of late. Keyboard arpeggios lead into a vivid guitar riff that has yet to be equaled in any other Eisley song. The bliss lasts just over five minutes as Sherri and Stacy sing of love and admiration for a child, apparently from the perspective of a parent. Heartfelt and sentimental while still being a brilliant rock song, "Head Against the Sky" is truly a masterpiece.

The final two tracks are reused from EP1--"Dream for Me" and "Blackened Crown" reappear and maintain their status as fan favorites, though "Dream for Me" is undeniably the weaker of the two. "Blackened Crown" ends the EP on a strong note; it remains one of Eisley's best, as well as a fan favorite.

It's easy to notice Eisley's changing sound in this EP--the mix spotlights instruments and portions of songs that would not have received attention earlier in MossEisley's career. With this EP, the band refined their balance of gritty guitars and delicate keys and vocals, maturing and cementing their sound as it would later appear. The early versions of these songs, while still obviously rough, are essential for a complete grasp of Eisley's genesis.