Life Is Legal EP

Having left the Canadian rock band Tangiers, which he co-led with James Sayce, singer/guitarist Josh Reichmann has not so much gone solo as organized another band in which he is the undisputed leader; his first EP is credited to the Josh Reichmann Oracle Band, with the group — also featuring reed player Joseph Shabason, keyboardist Steve Singh, and drummer Niko Kwiatkowski (Laura Bolton is also credited for dancing, a talent only to be appreciated on-stage) — listed as composer of the music to Reichmann's impressionistic lyrics. The key musical presence actually may be Shabason, whose flute and saxophone work gives the group a much different flavor from Tangiers, pointing the sound toward Jethro Tull and Dexys Midnight Runners. Reichmann downplays his guitar work and mixes his vocals in with the instruments, the better to create a band sound that is eclectic and engaging. This 13-minute taster whets the appetite for the full-length album to follow.