The Ray Martin Sessions

What do you get when you take the former bass player for The Deftones and Quicksand (Vega), and back him with hardcore regulars like Chris Traynor (Orange 9mm, Helmet), Charlie Garriga (Civ) and Jimmy Williams (Maximum Penalty)? Um, would you believe a bunch of silly love songs? This cute, 5-song EP is romantic Elvis Costello meets Elliott Smith, anchored on the arm-waving love anthem, "Everybody Loves Love." It's mostly an acoustic outing, except when Vega and company rocks out with the Beatle-esque feedback-flavored "Come Home Soon." "So Over You," is a brush-driven shuffle, where Vega kittenishly tells us he's gonna screen his calls from now on. Who can blame him? This is a pleasant diversion, but a bit sparse.