Ultra Vivid Scene - Staring at the Sun

All Music Guide

Released in conjunction with UVS's second fulllength (Joy 19671990), the Staring at the Sun EP features the album track of the same name along with a few nonalbum goodies. "Crash", from the selftitled debut album, gets a reworking here with a more deliberate arrangement and improved production. "Three Stars ( Version)" is a more aggressive and pianodriven take on the Joy... album track, and is, handsdown, the best cut on the EP. An interesting rework of the Barry Mann/Gerry Goffin, Brill Buildingstaple "Something Better" also appears, and helps to prove that Kurt Ralske does indeed have a wider range of influences up his sleeve than simply Lou Reed and Marc Bolan.

- J. Scott McClintock, All Music Guide