The Fiction/Birthday Boyz--split 7"
McCarthyism 2004
The press release for this split 7" says "never before have two bands needed each other like these two." Listening to the Fiction and Birthday Boyz, there in fact isn't a conclusion to the contrary one could fathom. Complimenting eachother to the point of absurdity, these two outfits have forged a release that exemplifies the best in the melodic angularity of D.C. styled hardcore.
The Fiction start the A-side with "A Strange Case Of Lemmy Caution." At first, it looks like you're in for some straight-up Fugazi worship--things are moving very hectic in non-linear fashion. Then, the soft and dynamic midsection kicks in. As the music gently moves over you, the inherent melodicism of the more frantic part becomes revealed and everything makes perfect sense. This pattern follows on "Inside Outsiders" which is distinguished by some tastefully restrained lead work near the end of the song.
Birthday Boyz close the split with their track "Basketball." The main difference between this and the Fiction's cuts is the order in which loud and soft fall. The song starts spare and chimey, gains a schizophrenic head of steam, moves to a more mellow and spacious feeling section, then arrives at a midpoint between the two extremes, before finally finishing as it began. This pacing is quite masterful and makes for a compelling listen.
As similar as the Fiction and Birthday Boyz are, this platter benefits from a sense of continuity and flow you don't often find on a split. While the aforementioned Fugazi vibe does run through this whole thing, there's also a sense of early Sunny Day Real Estate to the proceedings. Taking that into consideration, this slab should appeal as much to emo kids as fans of melodic hardcore. Regardless, this is worth a spin.
Score this 7" directly from MCCARTHYISM |
