Album Details

• Artist: Spilt Cities
• EP:
Build​/​rebuild
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2012
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: rockthusiast on 2013-02-11

Who knew emotional hardcore was big Down Under? More specifically, the Western Australian coastal city of Perth. That's the proud home of a corking four-piece called Spilt Cities. Throughout the five songs on their build/rebuilt EP (released independently last fall), Spilt Cities follow the classic quiet-loud-quiet template created by the Pixies' in the late-'80s, but with a lot more screaming. Singer Shaun Rodan must run his vocal chords ragged at every gig just to come close to the level of passion listeners experience.  To say nothing of the bleeding fingers he and lead guitarist Zac Ward must endure to express the life-changing breakdowns they've attempted to capture in song.

It's not quite metal, but pretty heavy stuff nonetheless that has attracted the attention of worldly influential Aussie radio station Triple J and their "Unearthed" project, not unlike Music Emissions' own Unsigned and Wound Up. If I ever make it to the Land of Oz one day for their Big Day Out festival, it would not surprise me one bit to see this band with a prime, local talent slot. I love how they end with a mostly instrumental, experimental ace of a jam that leads me to believe that good things are on the horizon for Spilt Cities. (Ironically, it's titled "Apparent Horizon".)

The build/rebuild EP is available from SpiltCitiesPerth.Bandcamp.com for 5 Australian dollars, roughly the same price in American or Canadian. Viva la par value!

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