“I’ve got so much to say,” sings Up the Empire guitarist Doug Keith on “Last of the Bullets”, opener of their new EP Loose Ends. Even outside of its lyrical context, it’s not an incorrect statement: this Brooklyn band’s strength has always been in its members’ disparate musical backgrounds, and in their search for new and unexpected ways to combine those experiences in the course of writing songs. Loose Ends finds the group’s lineup pared down to a core trio, translating their ideas to notes, chords, and drumbeats with an increased clarity.

“We decided to make it happen fast and not spend quite as much time tweaking as we did [2007’s Light Rides the Super Major],” recalls drummer Ben Lord. “But there was also just an overall element of ease. The songs came out quickly and came out feeling pretty well and done.” The three originals on Loose Ends find the vocal interplay between guitarist Keith and bassist Dan Hewins brought more to the foreground, with lengthier instrumental passages delving into a conspicuously expanded sound.

“The shifts in lineup definitely got us to a point where we could breath and focus on the songs,” Lord recalls. The group’s lyrics orient themselves far more on a personal level, conscious of the constant nature of change: note the confrontational language of “Last of the Bullets,” or the transient, ephemeral sentiment inherent in the title of “It’s Alight (For Now)”. “Last of the Bullets” weds its skirmishing words with a keening, taut guitar line that eventually expands into something mountainous, the rhythm fording that expanse. “Reasons Why It’s On”, though its sound is equally full, opens up the group’s sound to something looser, and “It’s Alight (For Now)” takes the record’s sound past dusk, blending vocal styles and allowing the guitars free rein.

Loose Ends concludes with a cover that’s been a mainstay of Up the Empire’s live shows for over a year now: Dinosaur Jr.’s “Feel the Pain”. “We've all always loved that song,” says Lord. “It's just a piece of our youth. Plus I always thought Doug's voice could totally do the original the growly wounded justice it deserves”. And it makes for a fitting close to this EP: a warm look back on one of their influences to conclude a concise statement on what those influences can produce.