This is an odd pairing at first glance, but the neat thing about the Front Bottoms /GDP split is that I get reacquainted with GDP, who I stumbled across while perusing Run For Cover's discography. More so, as much as both aren't miscible, there's still a raw love to both sets of music. The latter's got a sick hustle-and-flow rap style which helps breathe life into the stories of New Jersey, which TFB replicate neatly through personal experiences. Liberty and Prosperity is a 7-inch of insight that old fans and new would appreciate on both accounts.

GDP's Holla was the perfect culmination of years of work and here, he takes a more minimal approach, but it's still a sick flow. "Limousine" utilizes pianos in a more laid-back and chill vibe as GDP digs at drugs and the wasted days in Jersey. It's not too high on energy but again, his lyricism is spot on. Where he falters as a wordsmith, he makes up with a pretty carefree disposition on the mic, seen on "Parking Garage", which appears to take jabs at the cops in a series of incidents that GDP came out on the wrong end of the stick on. Again, his delivery's well-timed and suits the industrial beat on tap. Smooth and subtly dramatic.

Enter TFB, and since I'm a huge fan, it's good to see how they've come from Rose as well as tracks like "Swimming Pool", "Flashlight" and "Twin Size Matress". They seem more mature with their words and as the keys of "Wolfman" set in, it's yet another consistently warm indie/emo piece of music. It goes from a slow tempo into a guitar-intricate, upbeat finale that shows how they're willing to experiment and risk. It's very nicely done and sets the stage for the horn-filled extravaganza of "Handcuffs". Both act as a great set as well as gauge for anyone looking to find a template as to what these dudes sound like. I'm eager to get into more from both acts and hopefully, they shoot them out soon. RSD fans would definitely enjoy this weird mix.