Split records are bloody great. Being able to show off the talents of two bands in a bitesize and convenient chunk is something that has long been a welcome area of the punk and alt scene and long may it continue. When the bands involved in a split are as brilliant and exciting as Buffalo’s Head North and Atlanta’s Microwave it makes the whole process that little more special.
In relation to the Head North side of the record, their offerings of the alt looseness of ‘The Bells’, the autumnal ambience of ‘Redwood’ and the log cabin acoustic semblance of ‘Willow Tree’ are a snapshot of a band filled with retrospective sadness and bubbling sentimentality.
Concerning Microwave, the harsh honesties of ‘Thinking Of You’, the spritely optimism of ‘But Not Often’ and a cutesy Daytrotter session run-through of ‘Something Right’ show off a band with their influences pointing in the direction of many of the early ‘00’s greats and use it to their glimmering advantage.
Thoroughly this is a strong showing of two of the current frontrunners in the American alt scene, and a nice palette cleanser before both deliver a new release of their own. Truly lovely stuff.
4/5
‘Split’ EP by Head North/Microwave is released on October 9th on Bad Timing Records/SideOneDummy.
Head North links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Microwave links: Facebook|Twitter|Bandcamp
Words by Jack Rogers (@JackMRog)
