This split EP between UK acts the Amistad and Above Them is a solid 12 minutes of hoarse, gravelly melodic punk and does the trick well enough.

The Amistad are up first with "Blemish Free City" and "No Hope Radio." This 7" actually preceded the band's Kept Under by a Generation of Ghosts full-length by seven months, and it's got much fuzzier and rougher production. But you can hear the potential in the band's sound, which is rigid and bouncy, a sort of more serious sounding, worn version of a Fest band. There are ambitious chord changes "No Hope Radio" which hint at the mature exploration on the ensuing LP, and a brightly melodic take-out that could really be something with a cleaner recording. Or maybe the MP3 I'm basing this off is a shitty vinyl rip? Not sure.

Meanwhile, Above Them do a similar sort of thing, with chopper guitars and a lot more restraint. "Who Let Me Down?" follows this formula well, with a couple country-fried rock 'n' roll riffs to spare, though "Keep Good Hold" is slightly more forgettable.

STREAM
The Amistad - Blemish Free City
Above Them - Who Let Me Down?