Dividers / Timeshares

All-in-Vinyl Series 3 Split 7 (2012)

Rich Cocksedge

The All-in-Vinyl series, a collection of 7-inches with each including one North American band and one UK-based band, has reached its third round and amongst the gems that are being released come this one featuring Timeshares (the band responsible for one of the best albums I've heard in recent times, the excellent Bearable) representing the USA from the depths of New Jersey and, the Dividers doing the honours on behalf of the UK, with the band currently linked to the city of Swansea in South Wales.

Up first are the Dividers, and this Welsh-based four piece hit the floor running with "There's No Disgrace Like Home," a song that has some of the gruffest and gnarliest vocals I've heard in a while and a decent guitar sound and similar to another UK band, Bangers. The second offering, "Childhood Haunts," is a less frenetic song featuring quite a relaxed approach. These songs take a little while to settle into my head and do not have that immediate quality that some tracks contain. That being said, I do enjoy the lead track and on each listen it seems to stick with me a bit more.

On the flipside, Timeshares open up with "No Says The Nose," a melodic, mid-paced punk song that contains much of what makes the band so distinctive in terms of musicianship. As on the album, the guitar sound sometimes reminds me of Bangers (again!) but these are fleeting occasions just like having a familiar and favourite smell briefly waft into your nose–and then it's gone.

The second effort from Timeshares, "Young Man Songs," opens with something of a country feel to it, something that returns now and again during the X minutes X seconds that it runs. As usual with Timeshares tracks, this is crammed full of the little bits of musical goodness the band are able to utilise to add notable moments to songs which, although often relatively minor, have the effect of making the songs become even more pleasing to listen to. These can be simple things such as the use of a cymbal or a specific chord thrown in away from the basic song structure, and for me this just adds to what are usually already excellent songs. The other main characteristic that is still evident from Bearable is the upbeat quality to both songs, something that I can't get enough of.

This split is certainly a tale of two bands and it would be a bit dull if both were mirror images of each other. Timeshares come out on top here with two well-crafted songs that have become synonymous with the bands' name whilst Dividers are following in their wake with a more basic delivery of two good songs.

Timeshares get 4.5/5 and Dividers get 3/5 which gives this 7-inch its final 3.5 star rating (rounded down to give a fair final figure).