Andrew Jackson Jihad / The Gunshy

Split [7-inch] (2010)

Brian Shultz

One of Andrew Jackson Jihad's latest split 7" appearances comes with Chitown act the Gunshy on a somewhat underwhelming but still nifty four-song offering from Silver Sprocket.

It seems as though AJJ is flexing their Neutral Milk Hotel influence just a little bit more with "There's No War in This Love," but it's still definitely a good, folk-tinged punk song at its core, complete with acoustic and electric guitars--and a horn section. On "FFFIRESTTARTTERRR," there isn't as much of a sneaky hook and things are more balladic; it's a little inoccuous for AJJ, but not bad, per se.

The Gunshy travel a similar path on "Thanks Buddy" as AJJ did with "There's No War…," with punchy, excellently complementing horns and a jangled, sloppy folk-punk vibe of sorts--a kind of full-band Frank Turner type thing, but with total Frankie Stubbs influence on the vocals. "Only Sean Can Judge Me" keeps the brass and integrates more of an acoustic layer at times; it's a quick, effective narrative that parts ways after just a minute and change.