Tumbledown / Yesterday's Ring

Though not my favorite of genres, Tumbledown and Yesterday's Ring are two solid punk-gone-country acts that really show off their fantastic musicianship on this latest split.

Tumbledown (of course featuring MxPx vocalist/bassist, Mike Herrera) starts the split with the uptempo, punk-influenced "Homeward Bound," which kinda sounds like Bad Religion playing to a crowd of hillbillies. Herrera's polished pop-punk history comes back to bite him in the ass because, although his voice sounds better than ever, it doesn't have the same honesty that makes good country music. There's some great guitar playing and some huge vocal harmonies; it still deserves some replay. The side closes with a tender rendition of the classic "On the Road Again." Herrera sounds a lot more genuine here.

Yesterday's Ring's vocals remind me of a more somber and heartbroken Two Cow Garage, but instrumentally stripped down and much more "traditional." Their two tracks are vaguely similar: percussion-less acoustic numbers drenched in whiskey, calling for "smokes" and "coke" and other addictive substances. It's a nice respite from Tumbledown's fairly clichéd approach.

For those unfamilar with the two bands, here's a couple of nice tracks a piece to get you started.