Split EP

Into It. Over It./Such Gold, Split EP, No Sleep Records/Mightier Than Sword Records

I have to admit that I’m not very familiar with Into It. Over It.’s back catalogue, so a spin of their half of this split record finds the band either exercising versatility or in the midst of an identity crisis.  Fortunately, it delivers mid-nineties guitar noodling reminiscent of Frame and Canvas-era Braid on “Washington, DC” and Transatlanticism-era, Death Cab For Cutie-inspired pop songwriting (“Portland, OR”).  Either way, if these tracks are any indication of things to come from the IIOI camp, we have a long and fruitful relationship ahead of us.  On a side note, IIOI’s Evan Weiss has been gaining popularity since the release of his project, 52 Weeks, during which he wrote a song every week for a year.  In contrast, Such Gold’s offering shows a hardcore and punk-inspired approach to pop songwriting with “Minstrels” and “The World That You Live In.” A lot of what Such Gold delivers in the way of passionate, fast-paced music harkens to bands that I grew up listening to and loving (most noteably Lifetime).  To be honest, the personal nostalgia that comes with thier sound is worth far more than the $2.99 price of admission.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Such Gold vocalist Ben Kotin, who was stabbed in April, makes a speedy recovery and that this band keeps churning out inspired, straight from the heart-on-their-sleeves music.

Recommended For Fans Of: Braid, Death Cab For Cutie, Lifetime, Stretch Arm Strong