This release isn't so fresh, since it came out some time ago, but I really had an unbelievable urge to write a bit about it and share it here. I am generally always excited about hearing a split release, since I find that form of records the most interesting seeing as how you get to hear songs from two or more bands. No need for a long intro, so let's get going.
The main reason this split took my attention is "La Dispute". Several times I have been asked to share my thoughts about this band, so some of you probably know my opinion on the subject. I am completely in love with their "Vancouver" release from 2006, but from there on things went downhill for me. All the other releases just didn't have something that their first release punched me with, so I kinda lost interest. Then again, they are very good musicians (very, very good) and I was really happy to see that other people really stayed in love with them, and actually fell in love even more. But pause your thoughts on "La Dispute" until several lines below, since "Touché Amoré" opens this jewel.
I was quite honest from the start of this writeup, so I'll continue in the same fashion and confess about "Touché Amoré". I have had their demo release on my pc from the day it came out, namely 2008 and I never ever took a listen to them. Why? Trust me, I don't know. Several times I have failed with ignoring some bands like "Tunes For Bears To Dance To", which I neglected for so long and then they turned to be one of my favorite bands today, so that might be the same case with "Touché Amoré". Well then lucky me this split came out! This Los Angeles screamo/hardcore project just blew me away the very second their tunes hit the speakers. "I'll Get My Just Deserve" opens with a melodic guitar riff while the rest of the band jumps in after a few seconds and damn do they make a good entry. My mind was immediately focused on the excellent raspy vocal and amazing guitar playing. The whole band has such a damn good dose of chaos and distortion in its sound, but at the same time remaining quite clean to be listened to. The song remains somewhere between mid/fast tempo, until Jordan from "La Dispute" enters on vocals after which everything explodes and goes nuts. The whole insanity drops at the last 20 seconds into nothing and just fades away, opening a way toward track two "I'll Deserve Just That", quite a loud, but kinda slow yet intense song with again a combination of Elliot's (not sure I got the right band member on vocals, sorry) and Jordan's singing, which is quite superb. During this 3:25 time of "Touché Amoré" I was in a state of trying to lift my jaw off the floor, feeling quite bad that I neglected them for two years. Absolutely energetic band with excellent tempo mixing and amazing style of playing.
Continuing onto part two of the split featuring the quintet hailing from the Grand Rapids, so fast forward from 2006 and into the present, you get to see me being punched into the face yet again by "La Dispute". This (nearly) six minute half of the split was like "Vancouver" revisited in my mind. The same intensity, maniacal melody shifting packed with amazing lyrical and vocal performance that I missed very much. Their half of the split seems like a reflected "Touché Amoré" half, which was probably the idea of both bands for this release. "La Dispute" starts of with the song "How I feel", a few seconds of a clear guitar melody followed by the rest of the band making an entrance, same as "Touché Amoré". Quite an aggressive song again featuring the vocals from both bands, with mainly Jordan's voice throwing me back into the time of their first release, being quite raw and even in the gentlest parts being...not so gentle. So amazing. The end of the song also drops and drifts off, the second song following its trail and being quite slow with bursting chaotic parts. At this point of listening I completely became aware of the reflected songs from both bands and I really loved the whole concept since you get to hear two different projects, yet while you listen they are so entwined with one another...and just about now I realized how the cover art suggests the same thing, heh. Excellent idea and an amazing realization.
In the end I'd just like to say sorry, if my extreme honesty and constant looking back into the passed ruined this writeup for you. All in all, this is an extremely good release and you should definitely focus a bit of your attention onto it. If you'd like to get in touch with these guys you can do so over myspace, "La Dispute" here and "Touché Amoré" here. Enjoy!
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