Eagle Lake Owls began in Timmins, as an Andy Cole solo project and ended up as a band in Winnipeg with Dominique Lemoine on vocals, trumpet, and glockenspiel, and cellist Nathan Krahn. The trio was recently named by the Uniter as an “artist to watch” and their EP is riding high on the local college radio charts. The five song EP embodies the notion that less is more, with songs that are stripped down to just the folk/bluegrass basics. In the folk ballad “The Northern Wind” Cole and Lemoine’s harmonies are at times breathtaking. While Eagle Lake Owls are quickly developing their own sound, it’s the lyrics that really set them apart. Well-placed (and not overused) one-liners that are clever in the same vein as They Might Be Giants allow “Animal Or Man?” for example, to be taken literally or as metaphor. Or, as in “Good God Damn,” emphasize the words of wisdom, “the things you learn ain’t the things you know.” And with five songs clocking in at just over 16 minutes, it’s welcome respite from all the 15 song epics out there, and well worth repeated listens. (Indie, eaglelakeowls.com) Broose Tulloch