Splitters

Last Time I Swear

Written by: MAK on 15/01/2017 13:17:25

Splitters is a melodic punk rock band hailing from Detroit, comprised of four long-time friends who came together towards the end of 2015 to play honest songs about the dark parts of life with good old fashioned Midwestern heart. Near the end of 2016, Splitters released their debut album, "Last Time I Swear", which reflects just that. Eight songs inspired by punk rock staples such as Against Me!, the Lawrence Arms, and the Menzingers, intended to keep you partying through the night With topics ranging from severe drug addiction to stagnating in life.

What you get with Splitters is a collection of mid-tempo punk-rock songs filled with angst and emotion combined with uplifting vibes. The overall sound for this album reminds me of what modern Anti-Flag sound like, musically somewhat chilled out in comparison to their political skate punk songs from a decade ago, delivered with a big atmosphere. Most of the songs contain catchy as hell melodies and chirpy rhythms with raspy vocals layered on top that is almost Chris #2-like in places.

“Horrible Terrible” opens the album with slow acoustic rhythms to start with and a sombre mood that soon breaks into an upbeat sing-along number. Gang vocals flood the chorus, elevating the song and giving it a slightly epic feel. “Black Tar” ends up being livelier, there are noticeable pop-punk influences as the riffs just feel a lot happier than the opener. The positive energy flows into “Southbound”, which is probably my favourite song due to the catchy chorus which is again dominated by layered vocals. The lead guitar flourishes with plenty of intricate melodies too, pricking your ears in the intro and popping up with little licks that grab your attention throughout the song. It’s also a song with proper punk values, about going against the grain no matter the difficulties you face.

“Cheap” takes influence from the album opener by creating an impact early on. It starts off slow but then launches into the fastest rhythms on the album. For the first time, the drumming has been somewhat frantic, and noticeable above the catchy hooks and fun choruses. “Can of Gasoline” brings a kind of gypsy-punk vibe into the equation with the acoustic strums and the steady drum rolling beats. The verses are somewhat teasingly calm, yet the chorus picks up the energy with plenty of “woah” chants to hum along to. Other than this, the album doesn’t vary much, it sticks to a simple formula that works.

"Last Time I Swear" unveils everything I expect from a melodic punk album, and Splitters have come out of nowhere to show potential that they can contend with some of the bigger names in the genre. This is the sort of band I expect to see feeling at home in the Fat Wreck Chords family and I have no doubt that this is just a taster of what Splitters can produce.

6

Download: Southbound, Can of Gasoline, Black Tar
For The Fans Of: Anti-Flag, Against Me, The Flatliners, The Lawrence Arms
Listen: facebook.com

Release date 18.11.2016
FTLP Records

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