Stumbling across Aleutia, it intrigued me to see a two-piece with drummer Even Deges also recording as bassist, while Matt Bartels delivers the vocals and guitars. Seeing Trouble Coast endorse them, I decided to give their 4-tracker a listen and it turned out to be a pretty good decision. Aleutia have a great mix of post-hardcore and Bay Area-punk that I'd like to see them expand on, hopefully soon.

"Holes" is fast-paced and captures their punk essence to the fullest. Bartels sounds at times like his voice is on the verge of going hoarse, and it fits the vibe the band have gone for. It reminds me a bit of Bathurst and Bent Left from last year with slightly less energy, but still frenetic nonetheless. "No Sleep" doesn't register as strong as the opener, but it's decent as it allows Deges' drums to stand out. He impressed throughout on the skins.

"A Snake Bite, My Ankles" is where the listener grasps their punk strengths most before nosediving into "Downpour" which you can tell they left for last as the talisman of the record. It closes with an emblematic post-hardcore finale, but the buildup is steady and sounds like a mix of Blink-182 and Brand New. You can tell this duo's not afraid to take chances from just under 20 minutes, and here's to hoping that brings big things in 2013.