The very name No Other carries a defiance and elusiveness, characteristics that are amply evident on the band's self-released 2013 debut EP, I Believe In Werner Herzog. The Philadelphia-based trio doesn't shy away from either primal rock or propulsive pop but they don't follow straight lines; there is roiling mystery lurking within their instrumental interplay, yet this darkness is leavened by both their unapologetically direct attack and the inherent tunefulness of their songs. The three songs on I Believe In Werner Herzog are spiky and intense but not alienating; at their core, they're pop songs but they're delivered with an energy that masks their precision.

No Other makes vital, vibrant music that ignores trends in favor of building upon an independent rock legacy that stretches back past the initial punk explosion of the late '70s, creating a sound that is rich, complex and mature yet never complacent. "Break Away," the opening track on I Believe In Werner Herzog, slinks into view on a riff reminiscent of prime late-'80s college rock—think a streamlined Sonic Youth—but soon No Other's pop inclinations turns the song into something immediate while retaining a sense of mystery. Similarly, "Destruction Song" delivers the chaos in the propulsion of the rhythm section and the lean, sneering melody, a combative combination reminiscent of '90s indie-rock and '70s power pop. This blurring of boundaries is also evident on "D.S.S.N.," which has its DNA in classic girl group pop but the attack is thoroughly modern. This is music that is full and completely alive, music that is aware of the past without being beholden to it, music that is mature without being stuffy. I Believe In Werner Herzog sounds youthful and vigorous but never naïve; it is complex in its simplicity and celebrates its age instead of shunning it.

Maria T formed No Other, named for Gene Clark's 1974 cult classic LP—legendary as one of rock's expensive indulgent, alluring failures—in the wake of the dissolution of her previous band, Bedroom Problems. Once she had a clutch of songs ready, Maria reached out to Carly, current member of Philadelphia’s The Pretty Greens, with whom she had played bass in a Go-Go's tribute band a few years back. Maria and Carly began rehearsing without a bass player in June of 2013. Not long afterward, Maria was introduced to Laura, a native of Georgia who previously played in stoner metal bands, notably Helmsman.

The trio coalesced in July of 2013, rehearsing for a few months before heading into Sex Dungeon Studios—the same location where Speedy Ortiz recorded their Sports EP—in September. Working with engineers Daniel Angel and James Ryskalchick, they cut the three songs that comprise I Believe In Werner Herzog in a single day, recording live to tape. The result has all the immediacy of a live performance yet there are depths within the EP that reward, even require, repeated plays while suggesting how good No Other would be on stage. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.