Two emo greats team up to do the "old men tired of rocking do a little softer music" thing. Not quite alt-country like most of the late 2000's hardcore dude projects, but maybe leaning indie-folk? Simply some peppy acoustic guitar (and some electric as well) and the mid-90's crooning of Dan Andriano (the good part of Alkaline Trio) and Matt Pryor (the recognizable part of The Get Up Kids). The boys definitely put their hearts into the A-side track, "Gail," and bring the songcrafting that tugs at my heart strings and keeps me listening to Four Minute Mile and Goddamnit some 30-ish years after their release. A hooky pre-chorus leads into a crashing, explosive chorus, where the nasal mid range of Andriano pairs up sweetly with the almost-strained higher harmonies of Pryor for the first round and the back half of the song sees them switch roles. I'd say the first half is a bit stronger, but overall, the song is great and worth the price of admission.

For the B-side, the pair team up with some uncredited backup singers and tackle the folk classic "Cecilia" by Simon & Garfunkel. It's a classic for a reason and this version is... fine. It honors the song pretty faithfully but doesn't really do anything to elevate it or do much to highlight the musicians. Without this track, this record would be a solid 4 but as a whole, I feel obligated to knock it down a star because I'll be wearing out the grooves of side A while B gathers dust. Sometimes making something really good can make the rest of your work pale in comparison, I suppose...

If you like this review, you can buy me a coffee.