3 out of 5

Label: Dipterid Records

Produced by: Dan Jensen (mixed by; Belonging); Dan O’Hara (tracked and mixed by; Inny)

There’s definitely crossover here, but the pairing of Belonging and Inny on this EP is interesting: the former leans more into a kind of emo-metal sound; the latter is Dischord-y emo pop. You see a term in common there, but Belonging’s crowd feels a bit more bearded and beer-bellied versus Inny’s short sleeves and skinny jeans, although I’ve gender-coded the former description and have probably date-stamped my depiction of emo kids in the latter. Either way, a definite handshake between the crowds, but a kind of discrepant pairing when flipping sides on this LP.

On the Belonging side, the group dials up both the grit and catchiness of their sound, leaving off some of the minimalist Midwest stomp of their full-length for boogie-focused tracks a la Baroness, and even approaching some of the big, bold arena metal of modern day Chevelle, with neither of these comparisons being a bad thing for me. Strong lyrics and very strong performances (with Dan Jensen returning to the boards at the same studio, suggesting the team has learned even more how to embellish the most memorable aspects of their sound) provide for three immediately catchy tracks, though the lack of room for some buildup prevents them from necessarily feeling like singles. Meaning: required listening for Belonging fans, though I find myself reaching for their album first.

Inny has a cleaner, speedier approach, grounding singer Brody’s higher-pitched shout with some good bursts of distortion at key points. 00s-era Dischord is a pretty good reference, but there’s a sprinkle of 90s indie pop in there too, resulting in a nostalgic vibe that has touches of 4AD glitter (like Belly or somesuch) with punky energy. Lyrically, you get the emo vibe as well, with somewhat more internal dialogues, but that’s a bit surface level – line by line, Belonging’s Bryce’s contemplations on the past are broad but evocative; Brody dives deeper into imagery and offers up some specifics; both offer a fair amount of interpretation, and it’s interesting to see what each group did with their same-named title track.

Split records are always a bit weird. The pairing here makes sense, but I feel like you’re going to be drawing in fans from one band and introducing them to the other, likely with mixed results. More specific to their contents, it’s also mixed – every song I think is a good representation of that group’s sound, without anything really landing with the resonance of a standout single.