On AU’s excellent 2008 album, Verbs, almost every song featured a cascade of noises—voices, yelps, woodwinds, guest singers, galloping drums. Band founder Luke Wyland is found of big, bold arrangements, so he did the best thing imaginable: invite all his friends over to revel in the hugeness of his music. The only problem, then, was replicating it onstage. So instead of parading around the U.S. with a van full of 10 people, Wyland decided to pair down his outfit to a simple duo—Wyland on keyboard and various instruments, joined by Jackie-O-Motherfucker drummer Dana Valatka.

Now rechristened as a two-piece, AU is ready to release a new EP this October. Versions is, according to Aagoo records (the label that’s releasing it), “basically a testement to the live act of Dana Valatka (drums) and Luke Wyland with a few new songs and reworkings of older songs from their first two albums.” Sweet! After seeing AU as a duo for the first time last weekend at PDX Pop Now!, I can still say that the band makes quite a fantastic racket with so few instruments. Songs like “RR vs. D” and “Are Animals” are boiled down to their simplest elements, but still sound pretty high and mighty without all the bells and whistles contained on record.

The EP is being released on 10-inch vinyl with a limited pressing of 500. If I was you I’d just go ahead and order one now. You can hear the leadoff track, “Ida Walked Away,” at the band’s MySpace page. AU is set to tour this fall as the opening act for Why?, and even have a date set for October 10 at Mississippi Studios. How’s that for brevity?

Tracklist:
1. Ida Walked Away
2. RR vs. D
3. Are Animals
4. All Myself
5. Death
6. Boute

Links:
AU
Aagoo records

Photo by Pat Kehoe

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