Tiny Lungs avoid easy classification on this pair of EPs issued last year. But any way you slice it, they ain't bad.

"Cop Heart" kicks off their self-titled EP, and it's got some jangly, lo-fi emo/indie-punk that appears to be halfway between earlier Jawbreaker and Joyce Manor. It's got the rough vocal and musical sensibilities of the former and the stomping, splashy smarts of the latter. "All Voices Persistent" features throatier yells, with more skewed melodies bubbling up on "Untitled". This EP can be pretty rough, but one can definitely hear the promise, especially with the distorted riffage, strained singing and fuzzy crescendo on five-minute-plus closer "Apologies to Liberty Hill".

II was produced a couple months after the self-titled. Naturally, the production's a little brighter and bolder, and the band use the newfound clarity well. The sound is essentially the same as on Tiny Lungs, but everything comes off a little more precise now. "Appropriately Jealous" has a sad, chugging power-pop tilt to it, while an underlying sound clip adds to the careful movement on closer "Masters' Fall".

It feels like Tiny Lungs have some work ahead of them, as the draw here is more about their potential than their realized state. Still, they're doing some pretty interesting and relatively unique stuff on these EPs.

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Tiny Lungs EP
Dead Wives [II EP]
Ransom St. [II EP]