The only thing really proven to mend a broken heart at the speed of a northbound car is the ability to vehicle the torment into something useful like Nashville-based indie-folk band Bear Cub has done this past year with their music. Bear Cub is circulating a limited release EP around town containing songs from two previous albums of 2010, self-titled Bear Cub and Always Be Down, recorded while they were living in Pittsburgh. The collective release also includes a few new tracks the band has completed since relocating to Nashville late last year.

The group’s work has been centered around autobiographical depictions of lead singer/songwriter Jesse Hall’s inspirational road trip to Texas with a lady friend that quickly and unexpectedly had him heading back home alone. Fortunately, he was able to write all the way to Music City and now they’re ready to spread their brand of angst-ridden sentiment and emotional explanations for anyone who wants to listen.

The majority of the songs collected on Bear Cub’s EP are generally uplifting music-wise, with the band of four playing along the lines of the Avett Brother’s poppier, bubblier piano tunes while Hall’s American version of Damon Gough’s voice sings about the process of losing the young woman. Fortunately, you notice he gains acceptance of the forlorn situation as the album progresses, so it’s not completely bleak. A couple of re-released ones, “Hey, Let’s Get Out of Here” and “Cheer Up Rich (Go On)” are good examples of the sound they molded in Pittsburgh.

The previously unreleased tracks from the limited EP fit with the aforementioned. “Railroad” gets a little darker; almost a dirge, though, but holds a nicely placed synthesized spaghetti-western horn line in the refrain that can give a man chills while another unreleased one, “The Jinx”, was chosen as their first video single a couple weeks ago and posted on Bear Cub’s website, bearcubband.com.

Aside from the depressing-in-lyric yet happy-in-sound songs of Bear Cub, there are a couple of songs written before Hall’s love turned ugly, it seems. These are their studio party songs, meaning it sounds like everyone in the studio was getting down while Hall was recording, kind of the way everyone is in the room hooting and hollering when The Magnetic Zeroes are recording. The campfire love song “Classic” reminds you of just that while another bright-eyed travelling guitar anthem, “Mexico”, celebrates the experiences of a young road-bound American. These are two good examples of how Hall can feel well some days.

This Limited Release EP can be downloaded for free at noisetrade.com while recent tour dates in Nashville and Pittsburgh and links to where the first two full-length albums can be found all around the band’s official site and social media pages.