by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Baton Rouge duo Spllit apparently set out from the get go to create two side length albums and release together as a “split,” despite the fact they’re the only band involved. The band had recorded Spllit Together in 2019 and released it at the beginning of 2020. That record has since been remastered by Sweeping Promises’ Caufield Schnug, and paired together with Darlene, the new A-Side length album, set for release together as Spllit Sides, due out July 30th via Feel it Records (LYSOL, Leopardo, Spread Joy). Their sides complement each other well, with tangled art punk that goes heavy on experimentation, but remains rooted in the world of futuristic post-punk. It’s strange and noisy and fully engaging, getting progressively weirder as it hits their earlier material on the second half.
“How Long Can Delight Hold?” is one of the record’s most accessible moments, a song that trades a lot of harsher and more jagged edges for something that leans toward psych pop… at least for the verses. Spllit’s Urq and Marance harmonize together, their vocals slinking over distant synths and a deep bass groove. After a minute of these sweetened melodies, the song unsticks itself from time, the duo’s vocals bounce around with alien echo, syllables breaking apart between the speakers, captivating the listener with a quick barrage of spoken experimentation. What seems familiar at first travels down the rabbit hole and emerges on the other side. It’s also the tale of two halves and Spllit are locked in the entire time.