Amida - My Life as a Trashcan (Jigsaw Records)

Back in the mists of time, when we did crazy things like put gigs on at Junktion 7 in Nottingham, we booked Amida to play, only to be told by the venue that the soundman had cried off at about 4pm on the day of the gig. Amida had already set off from Manchester, and we didn't have their mobile number. They turned up to find an empty venue. I still think they hate me for that.

If so, then I'm not just telling you that there new ep is the bee's knees just to try and get back on side. Nope, it really is a thing of rare beauty. And with eight tracks to choose from, you can really call it  an ep at all, it's more of mini-album that comes in at nearly 19 minutes.

Amida choose their influences well; the eponymous opener comes on like the Bachelor Pad covering one of The Creepers' more frantic moments. It's all over the places in the most thrilling of ways, whilst 'A New Low' sounds like a more wired Jonathan Richman, with its gloriously grating guitars.

'I Was Rude, You Were Fun' is a big saucepot of a song, with tragi-comic lyrics, a piano that never quite wins the battle with the ragged guitars, and a vocal that makes you want to twirl around the room. It's quite thrilling stuff.

There's a dark edge that runs throughout, especially on tracks such as 'Thank Constantine', but it's on songs like 'Starstruck and Forever', which sounds like The Wedding Present's underrated late 90s stuff, that Amida really hit the mark. The sneering delivery makes it all so deliciously defiant, which, together with everything else, makes this record really quite precious.

If Amida ever want to come back to Nottingham, we promise we'll be in next time.