Close Call - No Gift Like the Present EP

It’s hard to justify writing a review on a disc that only has three original songs and two remixes on it. I mean for all practical purposes, it’s a single, and singles don’t usually warrant a review. However, in the case of Close Call’s No Gift Like the Present EP, the three tracks are good enough to make this short album worth knowing about. Close Call comes by way of Australia and were first recommended to me on the basis of my love for Australia’s Regurgitator. While I find it hard to compare anything to the musical diversity and greatness that is Regurgitator, there are definitely elements here that remind me of Gurge’s sound. What sound would that be? Well, it is kinda hard to describe, but it is basically a mixture of Australian punk rock, metal, funk and some good white boy rap. Interested yet? The Australians really have an interesting take on music, and I don’t understand why this stuff is rarely successful here in the States. All three of the original tracks on this disc are quality songs, and each showcases a little bit different side of the band. My only complaint with No Gift Like the Present is the lack of original music. The remixes are great and all, and the disc does feature some bonus multi-media content when you pop it in your PC, but 3 songs are hardly enough to really get into a band. With all three songs being quality, it makes me want to go buy some more music from Close Call, but unfortunately there isn’t any. I guess we will have to wait until the band pulls together and puts out a full-length record before we really see if they have what it takes to be successful. [www.close-call.net]