Three Mile Pilot

Maps EP

Although San Diego’s Three Mile Pilot never actually broke up, for more than a decade it was the trio’s offshoots—namely Pinback and the Black Heart Procession—that took precedence. That all changed with the release of 3MP’s first album in 13 years, 2010’s The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten, which demonstrated they were as on form in the future as they had been in the past. Two years on and their new EP Maps contains just five songs, but stands firm as a piece of work in its own right, rather than a lackluster stop-gap, which EPs can so often be. Immediately, “Long Way Up” draws you into their dark, murky and subterranean world of underground tunnels, while “Wires,” with its X-Files¬-esque background noises, is as spooky and sinister as any Black Heart Procession song. But despite the distinctive nature of Pall Jenkins’ vocals, Maps retains its identity as a 3MP record, not least through the semi-psychedelic groove of closer “Birdy.” Let’s just hope the next album doesn’t take another decade, because, on the strength of these five songs, that would be an awful shame.

Temporary Residence Limited http://temporaryresidence.com/

“Long Way Up”