Tonight I made a stir-fry for dinner. Some veggies, some oil, some lemon juice, some salt, garlic, and pepper, and the result was something simple but also needing no further embellishment to be very delicious.

Why am I telling you this? Because The Whips‘ latest EP is similar– it’s straightforward pop-rock with no fancy effects or gimmicks, yet it doesn’t feel like it’s lacking anything at all. The angsty but uptempo melodies, taking their cue from both ’80s new wave and the mid-2000s new wave revival, are most effective left as they should be: unadorned. And the musicianship on this EP is especially tight– the nimble bass lines stand out in particular.

“Median” is my favorite track (it’s catchy as hell) but the rest of this Philly quartet’s EP is great, too– try “Let the Good Ones Out” as well. Stream the whole thing via Soundcloud below. Let’s hope we see these guys in Boston sometime soon!