There is a long creative history of splits in the punk scene that has definitely been addressed in this particular collaboration between Abbotsford homeboys Blessed and Winnipeg’s Tunic. The first track may be asking us to “calm down,” but the request seems rather counterintuitive compared to the energy output produced by the two groups.
These bands share little in common, yet somehow the two tracks work off one another in a way that makes complete sense. The instant I switched on this split I was hit by familiar vibrations in Sound by local favourites Blessed. The first half seems pretty chill, which creates a false sense of security before the song drops you unsuspectingly in the middle of the real action. Near the end of the track, the momentum really starts to pick up, which is excellent foreshadowing for Tunic’s electrifying, fast-paced sound.
Sound and Teeth Showing are two tracks that could have been genuinely strong as individuals, but are exponentially stronger as a duo. In many ways they are two wildly different sides of the same coin. It seems like it shouldn’t work, but it does, which is the intriguing part.
