Happy? Nostalgic? Depressed? Drunk? Rick Rude’s Mind Cook EP cooks up what your mind needs with five jams that fill the space between your ears with feelings you didn’t know you wanted. Smooth, sentimental vocals soar over twinkling arpeggios and cool-dude chords that seamlessly break out into crunchy riffs and ripping solos. The band incorporate their rock influences without ripping anybody off, adding their own New England saltiness to the interweaving guitars and punchy rhythms.

The EP plays out with a classic mixtape flow, opening with the loosely energetic “Sap” before mellowing out with “54 TLOC.” “Stromboli” brings back some spark with punctuated rhythms and a sick solo that leads into the bouncy title track. “Little Boy” closes the record with a somber, haunting reminder that we’re all doing the best we can.

This is the soundtrack to being a gainfully employed slob, getting older with your friends, and taking beer cans from your bedroom to the recycling bin.

(By Rory Cooper)