TKAPB's "The Patron" was one of the most unexpected, pleasant surprises I heard last year. Truly no other album that I've ever heard has struck such an immaculate balance between noise and melody. Really the only other thing that comes close is early His Name Is Alive, and seeing that they're my favorite band ever, that is definitely not a compliment I'm just going to throw around to anyone. This tour only CDR EP continues in that vein, with three more glorious dirges.

The first track makes the most of Jehna Wilhelm's gorgeous vocals, adding to that an excellent violin melody to the slow droning rhythm and subtle creaking and whirring noises. The second track continues at the same slow pace, but has a distorted drum loop and a guitar, not a violin, playing the main haunting melody of the song. The song builds to some sort of a noisy mantra, with the vocals far more buried in the mix. The third track is a bit calmer and brighter, with an acoustic guitar taking center amidst the noise shrapnel and vocals. Drums and guitar build to a crescendo, and the disc ends.

All of this band's recorded works have been stellar so far, so if you're a fan of both classic 4AD and noisy drony yet melodic guitars, definitely check out "The Patron", but also try to see the band live to track down this EP as well. 8/10 -- Paul Simpson (17 December, 2008)