For an album that s quite the downer lyrically, Null s
2 for flinching released March 26 is a refreshing piece of DIY rock. The EP employs grittiness that doesn t get lost in itself, maintaining its integrity thanks to quick-changing melodic instrumentals from Val Brown and Chuck Pack and the clear, constant vocals of Emily Parr. Parr s voice is low and plain, a stable slab of sound against backing instruments that shift as a heart rate does when it goes from resting to fight-or-flight. And that suits a work whose themes lie in strife, both inward and outwards; on the opener Air Supply / Weeds, Parr sings tellingly, pleasing you is like breathing underwater. While many of the subsequent tracks on the EP race with rhythm, 404 starts out slow, as Parr sings I m no angel, I dream about killing you. An interruption of tense drums in the middle is a hint at how the song ends, with a grimy cacophony of release, battering drums and a downpour of guitar as Parr continues hope is r