Pentimento/Young English Split

Artist: Pentimento and Young English

Album: Pentimento/Young English Split EP

Label: Panic Records

Release Date: March 27

Grade: A

Brimming with brutally honest lyrics, impressive instrumentals, and a level of heart rarely heard in punk rock, the latest split EP from Panic Records is one no one should pass up.

Last year, punk acts Pentimento of Buffalo, NY and Young English of Orange County, NY released individual EPs that garnered each act some worthy buzz in the punk rock community. Now, with the release of their powerful split EP, each band proves why every punk rock fan should know the names Pentimento and Young English.

Pentimento opens up the split with "L'Espirit De Escalair (The Spirit of the Stairs)," a perfect intro song for anyone who missed out on the EP Wrecked and is unfamiliar with the band's style. It eases the listener in with soft guitar chords, lulling him or her into a false sense of security before exploding into a slew of violent vocals and hearty punk rhythms.

The follow-up, "No Apology," is a bit softer and, with more pop punk elements, it's incredibly infectious. Heartfelt lyrics and a catchy melody combine with an acoustic interlude to give the song a genuine, almost sincere feel while retaining the band's melodic punk rock styling.

"The Bridge," the Pentimento's third track, offers up lyrics as gut wrenchingly honest as they are catchy. This is one of those kinds of songs that is guaranteed to have you singing along full force in public without caring who sees.

Closing out their section of the split is a cover of Dashboard Confessional's "The Things You Have Come to Fear the Most." It was an interesting choice on the band's part to cover a softer acoustic number, but it doesn't disappoint. The guys of Pentimento let their own influences bleed through without attempting to stay overwhelmingly true to the source material and succeed in making this rendition completely their own.

On the second half of the split, Young English takes up the reigns. From the first chord that's struck on "Woke Up Under Water," it's apparent that the second half of the EP will have slightly lighter fare and it's a surprisingly refreshing change of pace the first time you listen to the full split.

The two follow-ups to their opener keep listeners on their toes. "Old Wives Tale" is a slower and more melancholy number, whereas "So Long, Connecticut" is a fast-paced, bouncy tack that's damn near impossible to sit still through.

The closing number on the EP is Young English's cover of "Tonight, Tonight" by the Smashing Pumpkins. The band will undoubtedly take some flak for choosing to cover such an iconic song, but it will mostly come from those unwilling to give it a try. Believe it or not, they more than do it justice.

While Young English's portion feels inherently more upbeat than Pentimento's, at no point does either band outshine the other. The two groups could go toe-to-toe and it'd be tough to predict the outcome, but one thing is for sure - these are the future faces of punk rock.

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