Emily Haines And The The Soft Skeleton

What Is Free To A Good Home?

Last Gang

Matt Littlefair (CHARTattack)

07/31/2007 9:33am

I was bored by Knives Don't Have Your Back. With the exception of "Doctor Blind," the record just melted into the walls and did little more than cast a black cloud over anyone within earshot. The live performances were intriguing but self-indulgent, yet everyone around me lauded Emily Haines' triumph as a songstress. I just didn't get it. It turns out that Haines and her Soft Skeleton saved the best for later. More affecting and compact, the tracks Haines crafted for this EP are far more cohesive and they not only pique but maintain your interest and admiration. "The Bank" plays out like a bead of sweat rolling down a glass of whiskey on the set of some film noir classic with its melancholic horns and brushed drums. The stubbornly delivered yet aurally captivating piano-voice composition "Telethon," with its deliberate and melodic chord progression, gives way to a swooning though somehow manic sort of heartache. Haunting, striking and less austere, this travel-size dose of Haines exceeds any and all expectations.