Album Review: Nightmares For A Week/Banquets - Split LP

Album Review: Nightmares For A Week/Banquets – Split LP

After it had looked for quite a while like the 12’’ split between Nightmares For A Week and Banquets would be condemned to never seeing the light of day due to a label dispute, the two outfits finally get to join hands and have their band name cover half the surface of the cover art. For those not aware of these two batches of fully-grown gentlemen, their respective bands can be grossly described as follows. If the base of the family tree’s trunk is undoubtedly punk, both bands share a bulkier branch of indie-punk before straying into different directions. Nightmares For A Week have a strong alternative country spine, but their style doesn’t boil down exclusively to it (unlike say, a band such as Lucero), while Banquets offer some catchy melodic punk that could offhandedly be compared to the likes of late Bayside. This ‘Split’ LP is a smörgåsbord of mostly solid tracks that should ease the hungriest fans, but is also appealing enough to angle in new ones.

Nightmares For A Week open the proceedings with ‘Canadian Tuxedo’ in which, after a gentle and melodic minute of build-up, the distinctive reedy-cum-gruff lead vocals cut through a solitary guitar riff. Instruments kick in as do group backing vocals (a frequent go-to for these guys) leading into a track that might be described as a denser Weakerthans offering. Their country sensibilities rise to the surface on ‘Dead Will Stay’, delivered through signature use of tambourine and sliding guitar licks. Its best moment comes when the band aspire to an almost liturgical atmosphere through the aforementioned “gang” vocals, as their voices chant “the dead will stay” in rousing unison. They apply the same technique to ‘Up To The Mountain Heights’, undoubtedly one of the split’s highlights. Built around a simple guitar and voice combo dripping with melancholy, the track gradually builds up, each instrument reinforcing its role until catharsis is reached. In this case, the backing vocals serve to add another layer of melody, one that crucially gives the track its stirring feeling. Elsewhere, ‘Bleached Blonde’ underlines the punk roots by adding a little oomph to the formula and the instrumental country-jam ‘Boiceville Inn’ is perhaps the only throwaway track Nightmares For A Week display here.

Just as swiftly as we move onto the second half of the LP, Banquets rekindles the listener with an altogether more straightforward approach: straight-up pop-rock brimming with catchy melodies and choruses, as well as a desire to waste as little time as possible. None of their tracks extend over three and a half minutes (in fact only ’Two Feet’ and ’My Moped Year’ go beyond the three minute mark), and they resolutely stick to the basics. Opener ’Two Feet’ probably takes the prize as the best the band have on offer here. It navigates a solid middle ground between the principally hook-laden ‘Matters’ and the slightly heavier edges of something like ‘My Moped Year’. For all their panache, there’s no denying Banquets don’t boast quite as distinctive a voice as their splitmates, but their five songs certainly suggest a certain consistency. There are no genuine weak tracks, but one would struggle to argue for there being a great one either.

A split is much like a reserve football team. The best you can do is play to your strengths, give the people something to think about with a sample of your skills, and both teams gave a good account of themselves. However the truth is that you never hoard your best stuff for a split and, given the solid quality of this effort, it’s quite likely that real (and I mean REAL) goodness is to be found when these guys are all to themselves. That being said, it makes for a tasty amuse-gueule and aficionados shouldn’t miss the opportunity to fill the gaps.

3.5/5

’Split LP’ by Nightmares For A Week is out now on Black Numbers.

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