Go It Alone/Blue MondayI always love it when two bands from the same city,who share the same creative influences come together to do a split. These guys have been staples within their Vancouver scene over the years and are now getting their sound out to the worldwide hardcore community, playing across the US as well as parts of Europe in 2005. First up on the split is Go It Alone, who have been one of the more talked about bands since they released The Only Blood Between Us LP. With their latest offering they bring two new tracks to the table with a cover of the deceased Vancouver outfit Reserve 34, who are also covered on this split by Blue Monday. Reserve 34 was definitely the perfect choice to cover, they also play a similar style of melodic hardcore and also are from Vancouver. They start it off quick and hard with the driving track "Ovaltine," which is devoid of any melodic sound, not common for these guys. Definitely the hardest track I’ve heard from these guys. As soon as I thought these guys were pulling a 180 with their sound they kicked it back into their traditional melodic hardcore frenzy with the track "West Boulevard." I’m really feeling the two songs lyrically, it’s music to my ears when a band acknowledges the ruins our cities are becoming no matter how pretty the downtown facade is. If you’ve ever caught yourself standing on a corner, watching the cars and people pass by with the all too familiar sounds and sights of lights and sirens blaring down the street, then the track "Ovaltine," is like listening to the background music. If you’ve ever spent a night with a close friend, talking the night away about the good times of the past and where they went then "West Boulevard" rings true in a million instances. Their cover "Daylight," is like an extension of their sound, if you didn’t know any better it sounds like a Go It Alone track. Up next is Blue Monday, who on their Bridge 9 debut played youth crew hardcore with subtle use of melody. Well this time around it seems as if they added more of the melodic riffing and less dependant on the straight ahead youth crew approach, making the end result sound a lot more cohesive and focused. Their opener, "Maplewood," is the longest track on the split, clocking out just under 3 minutes. I would goes as far to say this is their strongest song to date. The next track, "Cathedral Square" is Blue Monday’s chance to speak out on their surroundings. Lyrically, Its like taking the time to take a real close stare and notice all the teens pushing carriages, kids slinging nickels and dimes, while a bum choir hangs in the polluted air-"can you spare a dollar? I’m a veteran" as men in suits try to push them down the sewer, "Cathedral Square" is the anthem to inner city decay. One of the best lines reside in the lines of these song, "What to you is an eyesore, to me looks like suffering..." Just as with Go It Alone, their cover song sounds like an extension of the band, rich in hardcore and melody. The production sounds great for both bands, I guess it didn’t hurt that both bands used the same studio and engineer. The one thing that really stuck out is how amazing the bass tone is for both bands as well as the tone on the guitar which is heavy without losing clarity on the more melodic sections. The one thing that bugged me was the drum tone for Blue Monday. They just sounded too distant in the mix for my liking, who knows it may be one of those nuances that I grow to love. The layout is spot on, the cover art is like looking out at the city skyline through a rain painted window on a dreary day. The booklet is split into two parts that is divided with a full page group shot in the middle of the booklet. Good stuff.
Rating: 4/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: Ovaltine (GIA) Maplewood (BM)
Thesis: Two of the finest melodic hardcore outfits come to together to execute one the most enjoyable splits in recent memory. From the music and lyrics right down to the packaging this is worth adding to your collection