Drummer Matt Cameron described the sound on the EP as "pretty raw." "Hunted Down", Soundgarden's first single, is representative of the early "grunge" sound — with its dirty guitar, dissonant atmosphere and lyrics concerning entrapment and escape. "Nothing to Say" features drop D tuning, which would become a signature of Soundgarden's sound on later albums. Guitarist Kim Thayil said he learned about the tuning from the Melvins's Buzz Osborne. The original version of "Tears to Forget" appeared on the 1985 "Deep Six" compilation album, which featured some of the first recordings by the earliest Seattle grunge bands, including Soundgarden. That version was recorded with drummer Scott Sundquist, but the version on "Screaming Life" was recorded with Cameron.