{"id":8395,"date":"2015-08-24T16:07:11","date_gmt":"2015-08-24T16:07:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-brightr-veto-split-ep\/"},"modified":"2018-03-21T22:16:10","modified_gmt":"2018-03-21T22:16:10","slug":"album-review-brightr-veto-split-ep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alreadyheard.com\/staging\/album-review-brightr-veto-split-ep\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: Brightr & Veto – Split EP"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"image\"There is something undeniably exciting about a great split EP. Two bands slugging it and spurring each other on, perhaps a nod of respect to each other with a top class cover, and the warm fuzzy feeling that everyone in this tiny little scene is looking out for each other. <\/p>\n
\n

I think back to splits between Hot Water Music and Alkaline Trio, Jimmy Eat World and Jebediah (and Jejune), The Dismemberment Plan and Juno, and more recently Balance and Composure and Tigers Jaw, and you can find some of these bands\u2019 greatest songs buried in these records. It may be too soon in the respective careers of Brightr<\/b> and Veto<\/b> to suggest we\u2019re looking at the same level of adulation, but they\u2019ve delivered a very special split EP all the same. <\/p>\n

The first thing that you\u2019ll notice is that musically, in the vein of all great splits, there\u2019s not much common ground between the warm acoustic emo of Brightr<\/b> and the atmospheric, occasionally abrasive indie-punk of Veto<\/b>. Truth be told, that\u2019s exactly what I want from a split single. There\u2019s a clear respect there, but there\u2019s little danger of either act ploughing the same furrow. Instead, you get plenty of peaks and troughs and a nice about-turn in sound and style as you switch from Brightr<\/b> to Veto<\/b>. <\/p>\n

Brightr & Veto. Split by Veto.<\/a><\/figure>\n

The EP opens with Brightr<\/b>\u2019s \u2018You Wish You Were Here\u2019<\/i>, a jaunty little number which shows the excellent range and gorgeous textures of Laurie Cottingham\u2019s vocals. It\u2019s an all-too-brief 2 minutes, but is hugely enjoyable. Meanwhile, \u2018Alright, Okay\u2019<\/i> pushes the envelope further. It\u2019s wonderfully arranged, and Cottingham puts everything into it vocally. <\/p>\n

\u2018Just So You Know I Lost My Balance\u2019<\/i> is an older song, written about the death of Cottingham\u2019s friend. Lyrically it\u2019s probably not as strong as the other two originals, but it\u2019s still packed with emotion. Cottingham\u2019s a hugely believable and sincere narrator and songs such as this just reinforce the fact. Finally, Brightr<\/b> concludes his half of the split with a ripping take on Veto<\/b>\u2019s \u2018I Feel Like Steven Glansberg\u2019<\/i>. Cottingham absolutely makes the track his own, in much the same way as Hot Water Music\u2019s \u2018Radio\u2019 is every bit as good as the original. <\/p>\n

Veto<\/b> are a much different proposition, yet no less exciting. In fact, they match Cottingham stride for stride and beat for beat. \u2018Wallflower\u2019<\/i> is a ragged, raw, percussive-light blast. It\u2019s a clever move, as it is the song on their half of the split which is closest to the intimate sounds of Brightr<\/b>. It\u2019s an emotive cut, building to a frenzied conclusion, dark in tone and mood. After the ringing chords of Brightr<\/b> it\u2019s a superb piece of judgement and the perfect introduction to their half of the split. <\/p>\n

\u2018Red Granite\u2019<\/i> is a much more straightforward indie-punk song, with some rather great gang vocals and some wonderful changes in tempo. Overall it\u2019s probably the highlight of what is a class collection of songs. Finally Veto<\/b> round things off with a cover of Brightr<\/b>\u2019s \u2018Sleight of Hand\u2019<\/i>. It\u2019s thrashy and messy and a huge amount of fun. The only criticism of the split is that I just wish the Veto<\/b> half was slightly better recorded and mixed. There\u2019s a top class band stuck behind an annoyingly flat production job, and even though it\u2019s a minor complaint as the songs themselves are uniformly excellent, it does conjure up a \u2018what if?\u2019 moment. <\/p>\n

Still, the beauty of such a split is I\u2019m desperate to know what Brightr<\/b> and Veto<\/b> will do next and, as you will struggle to find a better or more rounded split single this year, it really is a job well done by all concerned. <\/p>\n

4.5\/5<\/p>\n

‘Split’<\/i> EP by Brightr<\/b> and Veto<\/b> is out now.<\/p>\n

Brightr<\/b> links: Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Bandcamp<\/a><\/p>\n

Veto<\/b> links: Facebook<\/a>|Twitter<\/a>|Bandcamp<\/a><\/p>\n

Words by Rob Mair (@BobNightMair<\/a>)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is something undeniably exciting about a great split EP. Two bands slugging it and spurring each other on, perhaps a nod of respect to each other with a top class cover, and the warm fuzzy feeling that everyone in this tiny little scene is looking out for each other. I think back to splits […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":14782,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[2641,4863,15022,4862],"class_list":["post-8395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-album-reviews","tag-brightr","tag-brightr-veto-split","tag-rob-mair","tag-veto"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAlbum Review: Brightr & Veto - Split EP - Already Heard Staging<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is something undeniably exciting about a great split EP. 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