The five members of Pulley each have their own busy schedule, so when they can grab a couple of days to record music together they only pick the best cuts, and it's rarely anything other than solid. It's been seven years since the band's last LP, Matters, and since then we've had the underrated 2009 Time-Insensitive Material EP, and now this, The Long and the Short of It EP.

Pulley are experts at writing melodic skate punk, and you get the impression these songs could have been knocked together a few hours before recording. That's not to say they sound rushed or unfinished; on this EP, Pulley just sound even more lean and confident than before, and The Long and the Short of It simply sounds like five talented veterans jamming away.

"No Man's Flute" opens with a typical Pulley guitar riff, classic in its simplicity. Scott Radinsky's killer vocal tones soon enter and it's not long before the band have launched into one of their big choruses. Cue a solo, then some spoken words which sound like they're coming through a telephone–it's that easy. Pulley haven't deviated at all from the template which has brought them success in the past, and they've stayed with long-time producer Matt Hyde, but Radinsky's delivery makes sure everything still sounds earnest and passionate.

Next up is the EP's title track, which is pretty much more of the same, then things finish up with a cover of "Which Way to Go", originally released by Big Boys in '84. Pulley grab the track by the scruff of the neck, tighten it up, add some crunch and make it sound like something they penned themselves.

The artwork recalls scenes from most of the band's previous album covers, and having been released on vinyl, The Long and the Short of It seems like it was made with the fans in mind. But you can't escape the fact that this EP is only three songs long, and one of those songs is a cover, so rather than satisfy their baying mob of supporters, Pulley have simply reminded everyone that they exist and could write a killer LP if they wanted to. Fortunately, that's exactly what they're doing, aiming for a release early next year.

The members of Pulley don't treat the band as a full-time exploit, so it's easy to forget about them when they aren't being marketed 24/7. This is just a bunch of guys making music for themselves and their fans, and it's great.