Nightmares For A Week/Banquets – Split

By Samarth Kanal

Split EP’s are considered by some to be throwaway collections of songs that don’t fit together – more of a functional way to release and distribute tracks. Luckily, Banquets and Nightmares For A Week have bypassed these tropes, and this is a split which is definitely worth a purchase.

Nightmares For A Week have an indie-tinged sound to their opener, ‘Canadian Tuxedo’. The reverberating guitars set a pensive mood, a running theme to this side of the split. A slight feeling of melancholy does carry over to the second track but Nightmares For A Week have managed to make a cohesive and flowing EP as the tone picks up towards the end of their split. By the time we reach the penultimate track, ‘Up To The Mountain Heights’, it’s evidently a more upbeat affair which is a welcome change. That’s not to say that the beginning of the split is disposable – Nightmares have made what could have been a random bunch of songs that don’t fit together seem more like an short journey.

Banquets then get their five tracks, and ‘Two Feet’ could be considered to be a pretty solid start for any EP with some great guitar work as well, setting a precedent for the rest of this side of the split. Another stand-out song is ‘Matters’; it’s fast and instantly infectious, as is ‘Come Home Ragged’. These two songs give off a slight whiff of Hot Water Music and Polar Bear Club, reminiscent of more than a few mainstays of melodic punk. Production wise, the vocals and drums are let down by sounding slightly tinny – everything comes off as a little too clean. Yet, existing fans should be satisfied for a while to come. Both bands have managed to avoid making a split which could be deemed forgettable – there are equal measures of style and substance to be found.

SAMARTH KANAL

Three more album reviews for you

Fortune Teller – ‘PREMONITIONS’

While She Sleeps - 'SELF HELL'

USA Nails – ‘FEEL WORSE’