Album Review: Family Time Records 4-Way Split 7"
This four-way split 7” was announced forever ago, so I’m
glad that it finally materialized. Pulling tracks from four artists—Kevin
Greenspon, Reighnbeau, Light Light, and Torn Humorist—Family Time Records,
another very small label based out of California, has curated an EP of songs
that complement each other, by artists that are both like minded but also
incredibly unique.
Greenspon, fresh from his split LP with Former Selves, opens
up this 7” with something slightly uncharacteristic of his sound thus far.
“Probably Tomorrow” is a bit playful, structured around rollicking synth and
organ tones, along with various other odds and ends, all filing in before the
first minute is up. It’s a hypnotic rhythm that bounces along—a far cry from
the heartbreaking ambient guitar and harsh feedback found on Betrayed by The Angels.
“Water,” Reighbeau’s contribution, is also incredibly
different from their most recent recorded work—earlier in the year, via
Greenspons’s own Bridgetown imprint, they reissued a cassette of very sparse,
acoustic material. “Water” is a complete 180—80’s sounding drum machines, and
incredibly dense layers of synthesizers, along with shimmery guitar work—it all
comes together to create something that is both nostalgic for the reflection of
neon lights off the hood of a Delorean, while maintaining an incredibly modern
sense of menace via the whispered male/female split vocals.
I unfortunately don't know a ton about Light Light—the
internet certainly isn't helping either. The 7”’s press release said “newcomer
Light Light,” and nothing else. Facebook’s search only provided me with
information about a band from the Netherlands of the same name—and “Light
Light,” is, you know, kind of an un-Googleable name. “Morning” is a slow
burning track—incredibly wet, springy reverbed guitar drive the song forward,
along with some plaintive, almost pleading vocals. Light Light may be a
mystery, but it’s a promising mystery at that, and starting the second side of
this EP off with a guitar-heavy track is an interesting choice to switch up the
pacing slightly.
The final track comes from Brent Mitzner’s fascinating new
project, Torn Humorist. Mitzner, the former frontman for the now defunct
dream-pop outfit Trudgers, has traded in the guitar for just about every other instrument—viola,
drum machines, and an array of synthesizers. Continuing to build on the overall
sound he’s been crafting over the last year, on “Rabbit Paw,” Mitzner’s
reverb-soaked vocals are buried deep within the mix, while a cacophony of
various beeps and boops, snare fills and string echoes.
“Pop” music is the cohesive idea that ties these four
individual tracks together. Each song is relatively short, incredibly
palatable, and they all adhere, for the most part, to a somewhat traditional
song structure. It’s an interesting conceit to use when bringing this many
artists together for a split 7.”
For a listener who is not familiar with the tightly knit
community of cassette labels and DIY house show performers, these
songs—specifically the tracks from the A side, are not indicative of the rest
of the artist’s respective canons. They are strong tracks, showing what great
lengths in maturation and experimentation an artist working on their own time
is capable of taking.