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I included this Nashville-by-way-of-Chicago foursome’s 2012 self-titled EP in a Top 10 list last August, but their Bandcamp page informs us that it was remastered by John Baldwin at the end of January. I thought it sounded fine back then, but given the new facelift, it seems a perfect opportunity to revisit it. (And if you downloaded it last year, you should do so again!) I first became acquainted with the group on their 2005 LP Twilight Dim, and was enthralled by front woman Megan Rox’s terrific voice, though their guitar-driven music tended to meander and roam more back then. Rox has since dropped guitar for bright new wave-like synths, leaving Dave Johnson as the sole guitarist, and they’ve replaced Twilight’s rhythm section. They’ve also tightened up their songwriting, as I discovered on their superb 2009 four-song Set Me Free E.P. (that EP’s excellent title song is also on their Bandcamp page; they should consider posting the whole thing!).
Eight months later, each of these five songs sound as wonderful as they did when I first heard them. Right from the spiraling, fuzzy-synthed opener “Airstream in Space,” Rox’s delectable and angelic singing makes an impression. And on songs like the enlightening “Do it Tonight,” the glistening, resilient standout “Ground Beneath My Feet” and the tantalizing closer “Impression,” her delivery and words sound inspiring. Finally, on the resolute “Mindreader,” she exhibits a don’t-mess-with-me toughness, dressing down her out-of-line lover: “I know you better than you know yourself/I am a mindreader/Let’s make one thing very clear/Don’t shut me out, don’t shut me out.” Amidst all of the bland-sounding country music in their hometown, Scale Model’s lovely, hearty pop must stand out like a sore thumb.
