Steve Voss is Tetherball. He hangs in Nashville, but his sound is much more 80s indie pop. He has committed to releasing six four-song EPs this year, and so far he's made good. Physical Violins is #2, but a far stronger release than the earlier Pheromone Food.

Tetherball Physical Violins EP (self-released)

Stronger in both quality and the simple muscularity of the songs. Food was a fairly free-form, loose affair. Not bad at all, but a bit too diffuse to make a big impression on me. As an introduction to this set, however, I am starting to hear its virtues.

And, oh boy, are these four songs great. Tightly-wound minor-key tumblers that always find another darker layer beneath the surface. This EP is where Voss really starts to bare his teeth. In the most tuneful way possible, of course.

By the end of the year, Voss will have a double album's worth of songs. Given the distance between the first two sets in this series, I can only imagine what leaps are yet to come. I do know that I won't be looking past Tetherball again.

Jon Worley