Winter EP, The Very Most (Indiecater)

This indie-pop band from Boise, Idaho, has been pushing out a series of EPs based on the seasons of the year, and naturally we would be interested in the Winter edition just out for 2009, so here it is. They previously offered "This Year, Christmas Came Nov. 4" for the Indiecater holiday disc, though that cut isn't here. Instead, we hear a ukelele-driven, uptempo version of "Away In a Manger," a song you don't often hear given such a breezy take. "It's the Best Thing" is almost a small-group version of Polyphonic Spree, with its ba-ba-ba backing vocals over a drone-y, slow tempo backing, but it's compelling nonetheless. They wrap up this collection with "When Does the Goodwill Start?," a tribute to Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys musically. Right now the disc is only available from Indiecater, but the band promises all the season-based EPs will find their way to iTunes/Amazon in the New Year.