3 out of 5

Label: DeSoto

Produced by: Lee Hollihan (engineered by)

The guitar rock of the Pittsburgh 90s indie scene gets blended with touches of Seattle indie rock. Hurl would evolve into a more distinctive sound over their few years together, but their early shtick was a bit more subtle – tracks that came across as opening-band material, but would use a slower pace and some extra runtime to build to impactful breakdowns and conclusions.

That’s very much the case on this 7″, with both sides following that template. Radishes has a bit more of an upfront melody, making it the stronger of the two; Positronic Ray feels close to being repetitive before it hits its time change and goes a little punky. In both cases, the recording helps: Matt Jencik’s vocal and bass lines are both warm and strong, and the guitars get a nice alternative ring without being too rounded off, Dave Brunger’s drums loping along with some punch. There’s a bit too much downtime for the music to really stand out, but if they were an opening act, Hurl’s tracks end on a reliable high note, definitely leaving a good memory.