Album Review: Chavez - Cockfighters

New York alt-rockers Chavez released two cherished mid-'90s albums on Matador and then all but disappeared, never officially splitting but only playing sporadically in the ensuing years.

Recorded in 2015, the three-track Cockfighters EP marks their first new music in 20 years but seems vibrant and relevant (if not entirely ground-breaking). Frontman Matt Sweeney's inherent knack for melody guides the band's sinewy and nimble guitar assault through the brief-yet-poignant The Singer Lied, the relatively extravagant build of Blank In The Blaze and the strident immediacy of The Bully Boys. Welcome back: more please.