BY JOHN B. MOORE
This four-song split 7” by British folk punk Sam Russo and The Lawrence Arms’ frontman Brendan Kelly is frustrating only in its length. The two songs each contributes are fantastic slices of acoustic folk rock, brimming with “fuck it, let’s do it in one take” punk rock ethos.
Russo, who deserves to move beyond his cult following in the U.S. offers two more beautifully direct numbers (“Small Town Shoes” and “Crayfish Tales”), much in the same vein as his 2013 debut Storm. While Kelly, known for much louder fare in his day gig as well as the side project, The Falcon, unplugs for his two tracks, apparently recorded live (“Frangelico Houston” and “Pigs”). “Pigs” is a reworking of the Lawrence Arms song “These Pigs Seem to Be Getting the Best of Me.”
Give these guys a full length to really open up on next go round.
DOWNLOAD: All four songs, you cheap bastard!