Back in June, Boston-based psych-rock project Crash Cadet – a solo project for Josh Rathbun – released “Crash Cadet II,” his aptly titled second full-length. We previously premiered a music video for “Tree Climber.” Just four short (or long) months later, Crash Cadet is back with a two song EP simply titled EP 1. The two songs emulate the mood at the beginning and end of summer, respectively.

The first track, “Do What You Want To,” kicks off with a fun, multi-guitar rhythm that sounds like a throwback to some innocent pop-rock songs of the 90’s. There is a trademark psych element as well, as the guitars get some fuzzed out elements to them. The vocals over the chorus are layered and lingering, which adds to the subtly psychedelic atmosphere. That’s not to say it has a haunting tone – it’s a completely peaceful and joyous piece. The lyrics are a call from one person to another, to drop the daily routine and spend the day outside enjoying the early summer air (socially distanced, I’ll add). The feeling of calling out sick to spend the day carelessly taking in the world is a perennial one for us once it hits ~May, and this song captures that mood.

“Riviera Girls,” meanwhile, takes a decidedly more somber tone. It’s not a sad song, but it is one that has a tinge of dread to it, centered on the looming equinox. Like the EP’s first track, it’s a direct message to someone – this time we get a name, Julianna. It’s a love letter of sorts, but one filled with some longing. There’s a bit of a foreboding, dreamy air to the whole piece that makes it seem like this meeting might not happen. This is coupled with some lines about him forgetting to call her and not exactly apologizing. There’s a sense of carelessness to it, similar but not exactly the same as “Want To” before it. The slower pace, dreamier vocals, and interruptions by some brief, chugging guitar give this song a hazy, lost attitude that mimics the one we’re forced through around this time of year.

At first glance, these two songs feel inapplicable to 2020 – a year where we’re all trapped inside and cannot experience these things we’ve always taken for granted. But they’re not inapplicable in practice; these songs were written in quarantine, and they both serve as reminders for how messy and complicated the before life was, both good and bad. Both songs are odes to feelings we never thought we’d have to have a longing for, and they couldn’t be released at a more appropriate time. EP 1, as well as “Crash Cadet II,” can be found on the band’s bandcamp, and on other streaming sites.