Snappy Little Numbers (2022)
This is a split 7" containing one song each by State Drugs and Zephr, two bands that have also released full length albums on Snappy Little Numbers. I was pretty excited when this showed up in the mail as I was a fan of each band's prior albums and I've long said how the split 7" has historically been one of my favorite formats. Though it's certainly not as common an occurrence as it was back in the 90s.
State Drugs has a rootsy, Tom Petty, Nude Beach sort of vibe, but with vocals that really cling more to a melancholy feeling than the more upbeat nature of a Petty. "Mr. Untitled" is built on a dark guitar and bass sound that is very heavy on low end. That's then peppered with bright lead guitar riffs. Once the vocals come in, things can feel a little dour to be honest, but the backing vocals help make the song veer into more uplifting territory.
Zephr feels like they have really slowed things down since the last time I heard them. Whereas on their last album I thought they would fit in good with the early 2000s No Idea crowd, this time they've dialed things back considerably. "Landline" doesn't strike me as the quintessential contribution to a split 7". To me, it feels more like a deep album cut that you write to give an album a more dynamic feeling and to let the listener catch their breath in between a couple of rockers. It's a good song, but hearing it by itself with no other songs for context makes me wonder if the band is in the midst of a major sound chance from their last album. Time will tell I guess.
State Drugs / Zephr - Split 7":
https://snappylittlenumbers.bandcamp.com/album/split-single-sln-222
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