Singer-songwriter Erin Notarthomas, aka Wrenn, confounded local audiences with 2014’s Hi, a wannabe-epic LP that incorporated elements of jazz, showtunes and Beatles-esque pop. It didn’t always gel, but it was a refreshing change of pace from Athens’ too-cool-for-school indie rock scene. Wrenn returns with the just-released Apathy & Good Books EP, a four-song outing that dials back the eccentricity in favor of a slickly solid retro-pop sound. Notarthomas’ unabashed showmanship remains; check her Broadway swagger on “Poison” or her dynamic delivery on the EP’s maudlin closer, “Lie to Me.” Nicholas Mallis & the Borealis and Grant Cowan support Wrenn on Friday’s bill.
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