by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
There are probably a lot of “I hope they don’t outshine us” thoughts when a band submits their music for a split release, but this is A Split 7” Between Friends, and there’s no need to worry as Dr Sure’s Unusual Practice and Bench Press shine in equal measure. Due out September 23rd via Marthouse Records (Heir Traffic, It Thing) and Fellaheen Records (who handled Australian releases for Pavement, Guided By Voices, and Superchunk among others), the split highlights common threads between two of Melbourne’s great modern post-punk bands, from political themes and jagged rhythms to the brute strength of their tangled riffs. The past three years have been incredibly busy for DSUP, having released several albums, EPs, and collections, while Bench Press have been relatively quiet since 2019’s Not The Past, Can’t Be The Future, but both bands seem to remain energized, with a reckless kind of spark oozing from their split.
Having shared lead singles “The Realest” (DSUP) and “More Than That” (BP) last week, today the release has arrived with Dr Sure’s “The Great Pacific Garbage Island” and Bench Press’ “Curdled,” two more exceptional entries into their respective catalogs. While “The Realest” found DSUP taking on the rental crisis and the greed of rental agents (which would appear to be a problem in major cities worldwide), the track’s counterpart continues the thoughts on general inequalities that are swept under the rug. There’s an insistent motorik leaning rhythm, but the band’s let the guitars loose, inching and squirming in all directions as they dive into an earworm hook. Then’s there’s the explosive “Curdled,” a song that drips with seedy bar fueled aggression, over a funky yet deranged groove. Reminiscent to Squid’s “Houseplants,” there’s a riotous sort of passion to the vocals, even as a sense of surrealism makes itself known. This one is furious but deviously fun, all howling energy boiling over as the guitars and rhythm keep a steady flame ablaze.