"Ain't It the Truth," which opens the proceedings, doesn't break new ground, since it's built upon a Peter Gunn riff that's worked for everyone from Henry Mancini to Weezer. Yet Shiveley gets more mileage out of it than anyone has a right to expect, thanks to a multi-layered arrangement, a frantic guitar solo and plenty of impassioned shouting. The followup, "Nowhere," performs a similar trick, with Shiveley and guest vocalist Rachel Simring finding a way to guide an obvious Fastball over the plate. As for "The Last Time I Called You Baby" and "Dodge City Blues," they recall the sometimes twangy jingle-jangle that once dominated college rock, but manage to seem far fresher than such a description implies.
In other words, El Diablo's ep is competent, solid and professional -- but in a good way.
