Trans Canada Highway, the new EP from duo Boards Of Canada comes only a few months after the release of their album The Campfire Headphase. Featuring five new songs, Trans Canada Highway is a nice addition to BOC's catalog and a perfect compliment to their previous album.

The EP begins with “Dayvan Cowboy,” a track from The Campfire Headphase. It was the standout track from the album and is the perfect opening track for Trans Canada Highway. It takes a while for this song to build (about half the running time) but when it does, you're in for a rush of sounds. Guitar licks, hard-hitting drums, and synths combine to give the song a feel that's a little more muscular than other BOC songs. At the same time, though, it still keeps the airy atmosphere that signals a Boards Of Canada song. It's one of the most accessible songs I've heard from the duo but it doesn't compromise either.

“Dayvan Cowboy” is followed by “Left Side Drive,” a song that sounds more like traditional Boards Of Canada. It features the trademark combination of synths and hip-hop-esque rhythms. It doesn't really bring anything new to the table, but at the same time it doesn't have to. It's quite simply a “standard” Boards Of Canada track done well. The only thing that makes it a little different is the ending, which seems like an interlude tacked onto the end of the song.

“Heard From Telegraph Lines” is a typical Boards Of Canada interlude. In most BOC interludes, the airy synths are heard sans percussion and are sometimes accompanied by other sounds. On this particular interlude, the synths have a more organ-like sound to them. Interludes like this might seem like throwaways, but they help the flow of an album. Like the slow part of an action film, they bring us down so the next part will surprise us that much more.

“Skyliner” is one such surprise. This is the best new song on the EP, and its standout track. The synths and rhythms return here only this time, the drums are kind of stutter-step. They float all over the track and help make the song a sonic playground. They don't just drive the beat. They also become the focus as we get a nice drum buildup and crescendo a few times as well. Some techno elements are also present here and really give the song a nice sound. You can't exactly dance off a Boards Of Canada song, but the feel of “Skyliner” will make you wish you could.