There is no shame in an EP. Not only is this form of truncated collection a means that fledgling artists flock to in their infancy, but even respected musicians often choose to release EPs in favour of the much heralded Long-Player. Iron & Wine, for instance, have released several such collections over an increasingly illustrious career, and Blankets!, by The Acorn, definitely springs to mind as an EP I would gladly take over a good deal of recent full albums. Thus, I wholeheartedly applaud the decision of Newfoundland sensation Hey Rosetta! to trim down their much lauded East Coast debut, Plan Your Escape, in favour of a miniature, and more marketable, collection of pop tunes.

In fact, I find it refreshing when a band has the wherewithal to realize that it might be in their best interest to shed a bit of musical excess. This comes two fold, as, not only are we constantly subjected to bloated pieces of self-indulgent drivel (forgive me, I’ve just been presented with the new Raine Maida solo disc), but the onset of digital music delivery has made for an aesthetic of instant gratification that rewards a rabid lack of attention span. That said, I’m not sponsoring the death of the Long-Player, I just appreciate a band that opts to take intermediate steps as they build towards a more fully realized future album.

Basically, don’t intend to fill my ears for 40 minutes unless you can make each song count, something that, as Hey Rosetta!’s “Another Pilot” bounces through my decidedly small headphones (my go-to-pair bit the dust last week), I’m confident these East Coasters could deliver if given the right opportunity.

Actually, the advent of digital music has allowed for an interesting gray area between EP and LP, as, in the case of Hey Rosetta! at least, the songs that they left on the cutting room floor are still available to supporters through the band’s website, accessed by download codes included with the shortened version of Plan Your Escape.

As for prospects of a future full-length from the band, Hey Rosetta! have teamed with musician/producer extraordinaire, Hawksley Workman (as stated in the article linked above)—a no-brainer having listened to the EP—in creation of an album intended to escape the studio sometime in the new year.

—
Check out Hey Rosetta! live at The Rivoli on Oct. 6. In the meantime, here’s the brand new video for “Yes! Yes! Yes!”:

While you’re at it, listen to a few other tunes at Hey Rosetta!’s Myspace Page or pick up Plan Your Escape here.