Keep goes international with the debut EP by Scotland's Small Town Boredom. This is an excellent collection of singer/songwriter style tracks with some instrumentals thrown in to mix things up. "Sorry (for the Setting Room)" is the real stand-out here. Lightly strummed electric guitar is backed by soft drumming, and a generous helping of reverb makes this song breathe the night air. This is homerecorded pop music at its best. There's a dark element happening here that keeps this song from coming off as trite. It's well done, especially when both members trade-off on vocals during the first verse. I feel like I'm watching a funeral procession when they sing, "Have you ever touched the hand of God? Do you believe in fate?" Excellent. The seven minute "Leaving Priesthill" feels like a journey through rural Scotland while the morning fog is still thick. The first part of this song is a sprawling instrumental based around casio drums and empyrean guitars. It unfolds slowly as you climb the rolling green hills. It's very well crafted. The second part is a quiet guitar/vocal affair. It's as if they pulled out their guitars and started playing as soon as they reached the top of the highest hill in Scotland. It feels terrene. The opener, "I Live Alone, Behind the Churchyard," is also quite good. Subtle percussion and delicate strings add to the melancholy of the song. Good stuff. Another winner from the Keep label. 7/10 -- Brad Rose (11 June, 2005)