By As I write this, I’m sitting on the porch of a cabin at the edge of a magnificent lake in Southern Maine. It’s grey, cloudy, with sprinkles of rain coming through from time to time, the idea of summer simply that—an idea. The duality of what the weather clearly should be around this time of year on this beautiful lake—the sun peaking out in fits and starts—and what is happening currently, is curious, classic New England weather (or so I’m told).
I only highlight the weather (how boring a writing convention, I know) because as I’ve listened to Innerlove. and American Beauty’s respective new singles, both of which appear on a split coming later this July courtesy of Know Hope Records, it dawns on me how perfectly they represent that odd transition. Innerlove.’s “Murder” has a blustery, chugging midwest emo tone. The Long Island group worked with producer Billy Mannino (Bigger Better Sun, Oso Oso), and the resulting track has a heartening build and a cathartic finale, the lyrics about wrestling with toxic relationships ending with a sense of finality and peace musically. Meanwhile, New Jersey’s own American Beauty offer “Stage Fright,” a summery pop punk jam, an older track in the band’s catalog that actually saw a facelift here for this upcoming split. The original, found on 2018’s SUMMER SUCKS EP, is a sparser, more straightforward rendition. It’s been updated here with a swelling chorus, bigger drums, and some monster guitar work. Equally melancholy in spirit but brighter in execution, “Stage Fright” complements “Murder” nicely, with Innerlove. and American Beauty offering nice balance (accounting for shifts in weather or otherwise). Take a listen to both below:
The 7” will be limited to 100 copies on random colored vinyl. You can grab a pre-order copy over on Know Hope Records’ website here!
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