The Excuse / The Singularity
The Year They Finally Split... (2007)
Brian Shultz
The Excuse and the Singularity are two punk rock bands on an imbalanced split. And with this being released on a label called Unfun Records…yeah, they both sound just a bit like Jawbreaker. Okay, so not every band/alum on Unfun sounds like Jawbreaker (Aiden, for example), but I'd be shocked if both bands swear they weren't inspired by them.
Anyway, the Excuse is up first and serve forth four fairly forgettable tracks. They do have that early Jawbreaker vibe, but there's also a strangely raw Face to Face similarity that permeates the tracks, too. They're fast-paced and have youthfully invigorated vocals, but they're also kind of boring and amateur, which is not a great way to start things.
The Singularity is much better produced, but just generally sound better, too. They start with "Leigh and Strokes," which I first heard on Asian Man's Plea for Peace 2 a couple months ago, and is probably The Year They Finally Split…'s best and most memorable track. Closer "Incoherent" is pretty good, too. Put simply, these dudes would find themselves in comfortable company touring with Banner Pilot or releasing stuff on Kiss of Death. Maybe they could do a split with Dillinger Four or something. Either way, they're pretty decent.
The Year They Finally Split… is definitely a questionable purchase, but if you're willing to pony up the money for what would basically be a solid, brief EP from the Singularity, it could be worth the while.