Only Sometimes is the first EP

Extended play

An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...

 from the San Francisco-based dream pop

Dream pop

Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost...

 group Astral

Astral (band)

Astral is a dream pop group based in San Francisco, California. Astral was formed by singer-guitarist Dave Han and drummer Shawn in 1999; bassist Amy Rosenoff joined them in 2001. Their vocals are frequently compared to those of The Cure; other influences include My Bloody Valentine and Joy...

, released in 2002. The EP was self-produced and the first recording that the band released. The EP charted on some college radio stations. It is considered indicative of the direction that the group would take with their first album, Orchids

Orchids (Astral album)

Orchids is the debut album of dream pop band Astral. It contained ten songs and was released in 2003. The title track, Orchids, is a highly melodic instrumental slightly reminiscent of space rock...

, which was released a year later. The song "Catalyst" was improvised. The song "Turn Me Around" would later appear on Orchids. Some of the recordings that eventually appeared on Orchids were originally recorded during the sessions for Only Sometimes.