A recent cover story in LA Weekly asked, “Will the stink of success ruin The Smell?” – an allusion of course to the flurry of national attention paid in the past year to the once little-known all-ages DIY haven in downtown Los Angeles that always considered itself more artists’ commune than launching pad to fame and fortune. While ‘fortune’ may still be a long way off, a degree of fame has certainly come the way of No Age, and to a lesser extent, its compatriots Mika Miko and those lovably raw noise bois from the Inland Empire, Abe Vigoda. While last year’s highly regarded Skeleton wasn’t their first release, it was certainly the record that made folks nationwide sit up and take notice of this four piece that is equal parts abrasive and ebullient, manic and melodic - and can fly off with a reckless abandon that leaves a listener fairly spent. “Tropical punk” is the tag Abe Vigoda once used to describe themselves, one which they are probably as weary of having to explain as the Black Lips are “flower punk”. Reviver, a five-song EP that serves to tide us over to what one can only imagine will be an exciting next chapter in the form of a full-length, finds AV in slightly more refined form. Opener “Don’t Lie” joins a chugging rhythm with a haunting vocal, a surprisingly poppy hook and a rising tide of noise to finish things off. Next up is “House”, a hazy syncopated gem that’s a musical companion to “Bear Face” from Skeleton. It’s the EP’s standout track – unless that is, you happen to be a Stevie Nicks fan, which Abe Vigoda’s Michael Vidal unabashedly is. Vidal’s moody, heavy-lidded reviving of Stevie’s “Wild Heart” is winner - he kinda makes it his own. If you don’t know the original, check out this rather genius backstage footage of Stevie bursting into song – right in her makeup artist’s face: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePqn6BDB098 Rounding out Reviver are a rather shimmering “The Reaper” and “Endless Sleeper” – a new tune that bears little resemblance to the Skeleton track of the same name. Will success ruin The Smell? Who knows. I know we could all use a little bit of the Smell’s approach to music and art and community. I also know that Abe Vigoda are only just getting started.