After a decade of relative silence following the release of the underrated 2003 album “Say You Will,” Fleetwood Mac has released an extended play of tracks called, appropriately enough, “Extended Play.” A decade is just too long for a group that has proven yet again that they can still produce some excellent songs.
Those who have enjoyed the group’s music will feel the absence of Christine McVie moreso here than on “Say You Will,” which had a bit of her involvement on a couple of tracks; this may be because this feels more like the classic Fleetwood Mac; indeed, Lindsay Buckingham is calling these the most Fleetwood Mac-style tracks since “Mirage,” a note to the solo ambitions that overtook some of the more recent albums (although they were enjoyable in their own ways).
“Sad Angel” and “Miss Fantasy” have that uptempo feel that’s satisfyingly Mac (although imagine Christine McVie’s keyboard and vocals added and you can see what I mean about her absence). On the piano-driven “It Takes Time,” Lindsay Buckingham nails the vocals, and is one of the most enjoyable ballads from the group in a very long time. Meanwhile, “Without You” is a track revived from the days of Buckingham Nicks, a demo unearthed and posted on YouTube that was revived for this EP, a nice nod to fans.
The group says they opted for an EP as it seems to fit the current landscape, and if fans want more they might head back into the studio. I for one hope they do; they seem to have hit a reasonable point in their careers where they don’t try too hard to reinvent themselves, but the music is still enjoyable. While solo projects like Stevie Nicks’ stellar 2011 effort are great albums of their own, there’s still something great about Fleetwood Mac.