Wellington artist J.Bird Taylor certainly can’t be faulted for any lack of commitment, drive, or passion. Taylor’s been around the traps for more than a decade now, has released two previous EP-length albums, toured regularly and fronted various bands as lead vocalist.

This release consists of seven tracks on one disc, plus an additional four-clip DVD containing some older video material.

As a package it’s professional and impressive, showcasing Taylor’s unique take on ’80s-inspired theatrical rock. Some of this is experimental and almost genre-less, with shades of Nina Hagen at one end of the spectrum and rather more low key or conventional acoustic forms at the other.

‘The EP’ won’t appeal to everyone, and the production (herself and Vinty) is not all it could be, leaving Taylor’s vocal rather lost in the mix at times. A few of these tracks would definitely translate a lot better in a live setting, and the clips highlighted on the DVD tend to confirm as much. Taylor’s art, at its best, is clearly just as much about the visual as it is about the aural, and as a two-disc set, ‘The EP’ provides for a good overview of her talents.