Split (Deep Elm)
by Tim Den
The two best non-emo bands on Deep Elm knock it out of the park on this split. Slowride continue to update Jawbreaker’s punk anthems for a new generation, but it’s Red Animal War‘s three songs here that really go the distance. Already leaving the sounds of their last full-length (Breaking in an Angel) behind, they kick start this split with “77,” a syncopated hypnotism that twirls around the “broadcast from the past” vocals. As the sparse-but-snug instrumentation dances about, you start to feel a musical sunstroke kicking in… lucid visions of the ’70s (inspired by the lyrics) plowing through your head, as the heat-baked melodies conjure up an era of black & white TV sets. Mesmerizing. (Texas is quickly proving itself as the new rock mecca. Pick up this split and find out why.)
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