The Love Scene
Blood is the new Black EP (2003)

Review by: Michael Walls
Date: 6/15/03

I’ve often wondered at the purpose of an EP release. I’ve also been uncomfortable with the prospect of reviewing an EP. After all, an EP rarely has enough material to accurately capture the essence or personality of an artist, and can sometimes lead to inaccurate assumptions about the music or artist.

But all that thinking has changed for me, since receiving the 4-song EP Blood is the New Black from The Love Scene, an alt country act carried by Fenway Recordings.

The Love Scene has caused a stir in my musically psyche over the past few weeks, and more recently has disrupted an entire day of my life.

Up until this point, "alt country" was just the word "country" with "alt" in front of it. And anything "country" wasn’t anything I pursued or felt the need to get all worked up about. Sure, I’m aware of the growing popularity of the progressive alt country movement, led by Wilco and Ryan Adams. And yeah, I’ve come across a few indie bands claiming influences by these genre leaders. But I haven’t come across anybody that would make me attempt to re-organize an entire day just to catch a glimpse of them live – no less based solely on a 4-song EP.

From the pounding bass drum and twangy slide guitar of "A Stone to Call My Own" to the feedback-laden rocker "Misinformation of the Local 101", Blood is the New Black has all the personality and emotion of a full-length CD. With a sound that mixes contemporary alt country and glimpses of style reminiscent of The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and Creedence – The Love Scene may have found a way to draw reluctant "country" stereotypers, like myself, onto the bandwagon.

So here lay my problem. This 4-song appetizer had wet my tongue and tickled my taste buds for more of this soulful, rocking alt country music – and after perusing the band’s website, discover them to be playing in two days at a quaint venue in the middle of Brooklyn. And after emailing my "connections" was able to secure my name on a list at the door. But "Brooklyn" for a middle-Connecticut living and working train commuter like myself, might as well be Pennsylvania. Yet I was determined to coordinate the means by which I would jump some trains and subways in order to sit in a cozy Brooklyn bar, pounding some Budweisers on a Thursday evening and enjoying a good ‘ol fashion rock & roll show – alt country style.

But alas, the Gods of school night entertainment intervened, and it was not meant to be. The details of my day-gone-bad are too cumbersome to describe here, but let’s just say they included bad weather, poor transportation options and a funeral.

In the meantime, I’m left with this spectacular 4-song EP by The Love Scene, as I wait for their next closest live show, scheduled for mid-July in Brooklyn. Maybe a month will give me more time to plan accordingly.