Sugarbaby EP

Morningwood's new EP is a party waiting to happen.

Morningwood, the most promising bid for mainstream success by perhaps the most “offensively” named rock band since the Butthole Surfers, has made their Sugarbaby EP more than just a platform for its eponymous single: the album is a party just waiting to happen. The white-hot N.Y.C. duo of Chantal Claret and Pedro Yanowitz have created a four-song release that’s like a sonic lollipop—vibrant, lush, sweet, crunchy, and exuberantly reminiscent of the glory days of That Dog and the Rentals. Gone are the cheerleader chants and quasi-duets that peppered the band’s much-hyped first album. This time, spitfire frontwoman Claret handles lead vocals on her own, spinning straight-up tales of rebellion (“Best of Me,” “Killer Life”), young lust (“That’s How You Know It’s Love”), and the storied existence of the beautiful trust-fund set in the high-octane single “Sugarbaby.” If mainstream America can get over the giggle-factor of their name, Morningwood is indeed poised to be the next big thing.