Surgeons in Heat's self-titled debut EP, posted for free streaming and $6 download on the trio's Bandcamp site yesterday, is a bit of a surprise coming from a band that had been picking up a reputation for direct power-pop. Its opening songs are thick with '70s influences, basking in the mellow cool of Steve Miller, Peter Frampton and whoever else the band's dads likely listened to while they were growing up (that means probably a little bit of Steely Dan, too). There's some smart sequencing here: The tempos pick up from track to track, building from its opening run to the rocker "Wanna Get Up" and coasting from there into the Some Girls-esque funk of "Can't Do Right" before closing strong with the nostalgic, Big Star-inspired "GT50."
