Style: alt rock, power pop
Label: Transistor Sound
Year: 2010
Home: Chicago
Members: Charlie Crane, Ryan Gatenby ~ vocals/guitar
Ramsen Isaac ~ bass
Andy Miles ~ drums
The debut album from the quartet Split is not 'unimpressive'. According to their press release, the albums "includes songs about infidelity, codependency, insecurity, defeatism, incredulity, availability, transportation, texting, sex & drugs." Are you feeling impressed? Though, 'unimpressive' might actually be referring to the low budget basement acquisitioned to record the album but the not so unimpressive low production values are well disguised & what might be discernable is one of this album's charms let alone helping towards its quirky underground alt rock sound. Actually, 'unimpressive' is one of the songs, while 'split' might just be referring to the topics under the band's lyrical thumb as there is an examination of the split between good/bad, right/wrong, having/not having. Song titles give away a lot, with no pretense or masks, about what particular split is being examined: "Codependent", "Cheater", "Please, Please Look My Way", "Devil Girl," "Peace Of Mind", "Availability Vibes", "Back To You", "Sleep With Me" & "Stop Texting Me". Quaint love ballads move over! But, they actually are quaint. Power pop is the name of the game, almost Liverpool-eque pop but with more distortion & less classic rock psychedelic wanderings & with a twist of Robin Hitchcock or Psychedelic Furs lyrical quirkiness. "Stop Texting Me" will be a highlight for most listeners, for obvious reasons. Though, honestly all the songs tend to fall into a pretty similar sound so if you like one you'll generally like the others, or at least where ever the lyrics up the quirky ante which they don't all do equally. Of all the textual references I implied in the beginning of this review there was one careful readers might have noticed was missing. Is Split, formed in 2009, going to split? When Split wrote to me suggesting I check out their tunes it was 2010 & they were getting some local radio buzz. Well, in my inability to review bands in a timely manner, as has happened a few times much to my regret ... to quote the band themselves from their myspace: "The band Split has officially split. Who saw that coming?" Cheers to you, guys!
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