CEDAR FALLS - Blue Island Tribe's "The Five Hits of Ecstasy" was born in an empty Waterloo warehouse and perfected during summer shows in South Korea and Japan.

It's an EP that almost didn't get made, but thanks to a delayed tour schedule, the members of the band produced some of their best work ever, said bass player Brandon Clark.

"Our Armed Forces Entertainment tour got bumped back and we had some open time," he said. "We had a free month and we took advantage of it."

Instead of enjoying the sun, the six-man band spent May pounding out rhythms in a downtown storage facility. Then, in June and July, the Tribe tested (and tweaked) their new tunes while performing for U.S. military personnel stationed in the Pacific Rim. The five-track album is available now on iTunes and is gaining positive reviews from fans and music industry professionals alike.

"Five Hits," named for the opening drum downbeats in the song "Ecstasy," retains the Tribe's signature reggae style, but infuses that sound with a straight rock sensibility. Guitarist John Schminke masters amazing guitar riffs, a la the Red Hot Chili Peppers, while sax player Garrett Thielking keeps an easy-going jam quality alive with his smooth solos. "Ecstasy" adds a slight swing to the EP; "Drop Out" smacks of punk undertones; and the infectious "March On" lends a tempered hard rock feel to disc.

"When we first started out, the songs were very, very simple," said vocalist James Frey, who formed the band in Cedar Falls in 2001. "Now we're throwing in bridges and more complicated riffs."

And although live music continues to be the Tribe's bread and butter, "Five Hits" shows that the group is learning how to capture its on-stage energy on a disc.

"We've become better writers and we've become better listeners," Clark said. "Things that work live don't always work recorded. So we've started to dissect our music and add things where it might sound hollow in the studio."

The band's newfound attention to detail paid off last month during a show at the Hub, said co-owner Marcus Kjeldsen. The Tribe will return to the club Jan. 3.

"They've got a little bit of a new sound to them, which is fortunate, because a lot of times bands kind of get stuck in one direction or whatnot," he said. "But they're versatile, and the nice thing about this album is that it goes in a different direction and it works."

Tribe members are now spread across the nation, with musicians making their homes in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Des Moines, Dubuque and Cedar Falls. Still, the band remains committed to its fans and each other, Frey said.

"A couple of summers ago everybody went on hiatus, and I had to play with a bunch of hired guns," he said. "Then, when we learned that we got the Armed Forces tour, we all got back together.

"We did the tour and we did the album," Frey continued. "That brought us back together, stronger than ever."

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482 or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.