I've heard the newest demos and it's a lot tighter and more unified than the EP.
As for the bass players bass technique? Matt has taught himself from scratch, in fact still learning the basics on being recruited into Oxbow Lake. As far as I've seen he had no bass "heroes" or major influences to pinch from or aspire to and unlike many of us bassists went straight to bass without having first played another instrument. What he plays is natural to him and I applaud the purity of this. It's not hard to understand that his first band cast the die for the riffs he lets forth in this EP but having heard the new recordings it's plain to see that he has definitely "levelled up" with the Teaspoons.
Don't forget he has to fill a lot of space in this guitar-less outfit but he gets his head down and does a great job. Cut him some slack!
P.S. I still keep wanting to hear female backing vocals in this and the new recordings though.