4.5 stars out of 5

“You'll never hear the word "crayons" the same way again. This spectacular debut from local dirt-rockers Eastern Recluse is bursting with personality and hummable riffs, the eponymous EP's seven glorious tracks worthy of replays all year long. Ideal for fans of bands like Dinosaur Jr. and the Meat Puppets, Eastern Recluse combines the modern psych-tinged sensibilities of artists like MJ Lenderman with the guitar-laden slacker rock of the 1990s. Built out of the longtime collaboration between guitarist Mark Nardo and vocalist Elliott Witherow, the two were joined by bassist David DeFranco and drummer Alex Wardi, recording the album at MindRocket RecordingStudio in West Middlesex, Pennsylvania. You're going to want to play this loudly. Save for the intimately acoustic, titular closing cut, each track is sharp with lushly overdriven tones and straight-ahead rock prowess from the rhythm section. Witherow's delivery and lyrics take things to the next level, at times funny, others mysteriously evocative, and always styled with a unique and lovable drawl. This recording is a blessing, with hopefully much more to come from this quartet in the future.”

Nick Warren, Erie Reader