Bands of the
Elephant 6 collective usually fall into two categories: those who function simply as rock historians recreating the sounds of the '60s (
Of Montreal anyone?) and those who are able to extrapolate those influences into originality (the brilliant
Olivia Tremor Control,
Elf Power). From the first song on the EP, the effervescent "Fabulous Day,"
the Essex Green firmly place themselves into the second group. So while their pop is heavily indebted to the likes of
the Kinks and
the Strawberry Alarm Clock, they manage to measure in just enough originality to eclipse mimicry, making
the Essex Green's music at once familiar and innovative, classic and fresh. As with their full-length,
The Essex Green is a consistent listen, with each of the five tracks possessing a definite hook and embodying a different variation on summer of love era pop.