Article: REVIEWS.(PREVIEW)

ALTERNATIVE

8048 ``Songs of the Cows.'' The Mermen. (Mesa/Bluemoon):

San Francisco trio the Mermen calls itself a surf band, but saying the group plays surf music is like saying Sonic Youth plays alternative rock. There's just more to it than that.

On this six-track EP, the instrumentals-only band sticks close to the eerie psychedelic attack that earned it notice on last year's soaring breakthrough, ``A Glorious Lethal Euphoria.'' The sound is certainly fueled by surf's tight tremelo and wet reverb, but the record visits a host of musical styles -- punk, prog rock, '80s metal -- without loitering too long in one spot.

Deft-fingered ...

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