Welcome Winter
(self-released)
(out of 5)
Seattle's skull-loving hard rockers Princess have the terrible habit of teasing us once a year with quick blasts of new music that, while great, really only result in an insatiable craving for more. Last year, the foursome released their debut EP, The Grim Energy, which is an intense six-song expedition that clocks in at just over 20 minutes. I thought for sure a full-length would follow. Alas, it's already November, and all Princess have given us is Welcome Winter, a three-song, 10-minute-long EP that's over before you really have a chance to realize how much you fucking love it.
The opening track, "Kate," unapologetically pummels you from the first note. Heavy, racing bass and guitar come at you so fast it feels like you're being chased down a hallway that's getting more and more narrow. Before you can really start to panic, the song swoops into a swingy chorus with a small choir calmly (but creepily) chanting behind singer Andrew Chapman's snarling vocals.
"Boom Click Click Boom" and "HOV" are both less than three minutes and are the perfect soundtrack to those frustrated afternoons when you feel like you need to kick a little ass or call someone on their bullshit. Speaking of bullshit, where are the rest of the songs?! In two years, we've gotten about 30 minutes of tunes, which, if they sucked, would be a good thing. But they do not; Princess are great. And if you're going to continue being this great, Princess, you better fucking rock out more of the jams before you make us crazy.
