Novation brings energetic show to live EP

Natick-based Novation may be fresh out of high school, but their sound belies their age with a maturity well beyond their years. Their latest “Good Stuff Cheap” EP encapsulates the rabid energy of their live sets – which in the past have featured inflatable animals careening around the room, the entire audience getting on stage, and much more – into three songs recorded at The Center for Arts in Natick earlier this year. With influences from the Foo Fighters to local acts such as Dinosaur Jr. and George McGann, these guys are a fun listen and even better live show. The set’s final track, “Release,” has an anthemic quality about it, aided by group vocals, the solid rhythm work of guitarist Anthony Santoro and Brian Cumming’s rougher-than-gravel vocals. If you’d rather hear what they sound like in a studio setting, check out their previous studio EPs, “Release” and “We Come In Pieces.” – Ben Bosco