Four short and sharp songs make up this EP from Wellington-based duo Solo Ono – showcasing the fairly frenetic guitar and drumming talents of Frank Eggleton and Jordan Stewart respectively.
Just the right amount of distortion lights up the guitar in opener Rogue Planet, with the summery mournfulness of electric organ adding an appreciated element of goodness to the sound.
Karma continues the fast-paced sound, with the most Pixies-ish touch of any of the tracks on the record. With its hint of a disdainful sneer, Eggleton’s voice is a great match to the punkish, propulsive nature of their music.
From that fast-paced first half, Sunlight brings the tempo down with a beautifully dappled sunshine sound. Though not as driven as the earlier tracks it’s no less committed to the sound of the EP, with sprawling distorted guitar over tight drumming.
Final track Hitchhikin’ takes the listener comfortably back into a nice ’n classic surf rock tempo to round things off with a bang.
Recording and mixing credits sit with Warwick Donald. Album artwork, that delivers a nice hybrid of zine-y aesthetic with cosmic imagery (care of Scott Hakkaart), makes a tidy little package for this release – the band’s first since a self-titled LP back in 2012.
Small but very well formed, this EP is an awesome return for Solo Ono – and hopefully heralds more to come.