3 out of 5

Label: Auxiliary Records

Produced by: Chris Owens, Peter Searcy (recorded by, Coliseum) / Chris Owens (Young Widows)

EPs are a good place to focus and kick out some selected solid jams without the pressure of committing to a full album.  Split release EPs narrow the playing field, generally offering 2-3 songs per group, but this can serve a similar purpose: a fun joint recording session where each group fuels the other, sometimes resulting in a unique and energetic release.  But in both cases, if there’s nothing defining on the disc, then the shorter runtime works against you, and the lack of definition is all you have.

These are good tracks from both groups.  The Coliseum jams are probably a little stronger because it’s a more blistering attack, and out of their two contributions, the second – White Religion – is the more notable, punk and hardcore back to back for some shouty-shouts, hefty drumming, and frequently changing riffage.  This leads into the better of the two Young Widows tracks – Future Plans – as it feels more completely constructed, versus the punkier, yellier Baritone #3 which just sort of starts and stops.  Both of their tracks, though, are from the Settle Down City era, which puts them closer, chronologically, to Breather Resist, and thus YW hasn’t really become YW yet.

Good tracks from both, but not great ones, not singles, and that’s essentially what this disc is: a two-sided single from the contributors.  But years would pass, with many great ones to come from both groups.