Since By Man's 2004 EP A Love Hate Relationship may not be quite as intense and/or ambitious as its predecessor, the previous year's We Sing The Body Electric, but it's a nice little holdover while the band prepares for the release of its sophomore full-length this coming September.

Here it's where the band has seemingly traded in most of its technical precision and reach for more of a rock-based sound, but it's still decidedly hardcore with a healthy injection of sass and roll, and continues the Refused influence heard on Electric without ever nearly plagiarizing. The first two tracks, "Swan Killer" and "What You Got Is Gold," relies on the band's trademark, pulsating bass tone, with the latter incorporating fuzzy drum programming halfway through and closing with a stuttered stream of blips and bleeps á la any given moment on The Shape Of Punk To Come, and flows into "Goddamnit Baby This Is Soul" nicely.

Childish title aside, the closer "Who Would I Be Without My Middle Finger" is perhaps the EP's best offering; it's loud, relatively fast, trades off between a decrescendo riff and a more abrupt yet still air-worthy one, and has a segue with a calm-before-the-storm-esque vocal chant and rhythmic clap, all before playing into its second verse and a shatter of glass signaling the end of the disc.

A Love Hate Relationship doesn't provide a whole lot of time to show Since By Man's talents and ability, but the band uses it to their benefit, showcasing a small handful of well-written songs with a leveled amount of intensity coupled with driving guitars and an inspired backing.

MP3
What You Got Is Gold [clip]
Who Would I Be Without My Middle Finger