Lou Barlow
's
Sebadoh
was a soaring outlet for his self-conscious songs as well as one of the more revered examples of the lo-fi, D.I.Y. recording ethic of the late '80s and early '90s. After reuniting for various shows,
Barlow
and company announced in 2013 they'd be releasing
Defend Yourself
, the first album from the band since 1999's
The Sebadoh
. Preceding the full-length album is the five-song
Secret
EP, offering a few scraps and remnants from the home-recorded sessions that resulted in the album. Kicking off with the floor-tom driven "Keep the Boy Alive," the short companion piece sounds shockingly similar to the moody, shut-in indie rock tones of '90s
. The country-flavored "I Don't Mind" stands out as a slightly different style for the group, with the nasal vocals taking on cowboy crooning, and ironically sounding a little like
's one-time nemesis
J. Mascis
. ~ Fred Thomas