International pop punk pals from opposite sides of the world, Durham’s Martha and San Pedro’s Benny The Jet Rodriguez, have released a stellar split. Martha’s debut LP, Courting Strong, was one of our favorite albums of 2014 and these new tracks arrive with the exciting assurance of a second record. Their first track, “The Historian,” features a catchy jangle pop chorus, “Never gonna never gonna let me dig up all the dirt I have on you.” The second song is a cover of “Dom Kan Inte Hora Musiken” (“They Can’t Hear the Music”) by Swedish punk band Masshysteri. Translated lyrics like “I stopped chasing my dreams so long ago / The same fucking dreams that you are still chasing” mirror themes the quartet grapple with in their own music, like the relationship between the political and the personal. Benny The Jet Rodriguez’s half of the split offers a dose of heartfelt yearning and garage pop. The thrashing “In Love” tells of a drunken night and the need to deliver an urgent message that turns out to be less a declaration of love than a declaration of freedom. On the other end of the spectrum, “Wish You Were Beer” is a fuzzy song about heartbreak. The offerings from both Martha and Benny The Jet Rodriguez make this split a solid, cohesive listen.
The 7-inch is now available through Drunken Sailor Records. You can stream it below.
