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Post-punk, alt-rock group The Slang is the combined forces of bassist John Newsome, and lead singer John Bobo, who turned down becoming an FBI agent in order to focus on the band. They have recently released their second EP, Night And Day, and this new release lyrically and sonically reflects shifts in the band’s dynamic since their debut. These changes include a downsizing from a trio to a duo, and a move from NYC to Nashville. Russ Long’s production is more layered, but, naturally, the band sound noticeably rawer and stripped back, and Night and Day is more cleanly produced than its predecessor.
The five songs that make up this EP not only sound relatively similar stylistically speaking, there is a single cohesive identity shared between them, as if they form an extremely loose concept record. The Slang’s arena-sized proclivities are more insular, and a pointed melancholy afflicts songs like “Breakthrough” and the EP-closing ballad “Remember To Forget.” The band still show they’re more than capable of hook-driven rockers on the title track, “Night & Day,” yet even there it casts a darker shadow. Night and Day is the result of a band finding their voice, flexing their muscles, and the statement of two musicians learning to deal triumphantly with changes.
