I love a split release. You already know this if you're a regular CPRW reader. Having the chance to check out more than one band on a single release is just a wonderful thing for all involved. The latest one I've checked out is a four track from LA based Tiny Stills and Odd Robot from Fullerton. I've been a fan of Odd Robot for a little while now but this was my first encounter of Tiny Stills. On the split they have performed one original each as well as a cover of the other band’s song.
Tiny Stills are a four piece that formed in 2012. Playing a combination of indie rock and power pop music about sad times, this split is their first release since 2018's Laughing In The Void. Their first song on the split is titled Everything Is Going Great. The song starts out with lead singer Kailynn West's sugary sweet vocal along with a subtle electric guitar before the song jump starts and the whole band come in. At this moment, West's vocals become full of attitude. This repeats between the verse and chorus throughout the song, really taking you on a series of ups and downs. The song is about finding it hard to be honest with yourself and admitting that you're not doing as well as you think you are. Tiny Stills cover Odd Robot's song Schadenfreude. I absolutely loved what Tiny Stills have done with this song. The Odd Robot version is a very melodic pop punk track, this Tiny Stills version however has much more of a bubblegum pop feel that really put a smile on my face. The punchy melody of the song draws you in and makes it vey accessible very quickly.
Odd Robot's original song is named I Am A Cortisol Factory. On this song, Odd Robot seem to explore a more indie rock sound and I'm slightly reminded of The Strokes at times. The guitars have that higher pitched jangly tone that I always associate with the indie genre and the vocals sound slightly like they've been through an auto-tune device. This gives the band a bit of a unique and interesting sound that I don't often find listening to punk music and I really enjoyed the song because of that. It's a different route for Odd Robot to go down but it's a great song that will encourage people to check out their other material. For the split, Odd Robot covered Tiny Stills’ song 15-17 months which originally appeared on their 2014 album Falling Is Like Flying. The original version of the track has a bit of a punchy, stabby melody and is pretty stripped back musically. Odd Robot give the song a fuller sound and much more melody – as you might expect from Odd Robot. I love how they've managed to take a pretty distinctive song and make it their own without changing that much. Fantastic stuff!
This was everything I could possibly want from a split EP. Each half of the split had me wanting to check out more of the bands’ material and it showcases some fantastic songwriting and musical ability. Check out Tiny Stills, check out Odd Robot!
Stream and download Tiny Stills / Odd Robot Split here: https://tinystills.bandcamp.com/album/tiny-stills-odd-robot-split
Like Tiny Stills here: https://www.facebook.com/tinystills/
Like Odd Robot here: https://www.facebook.com/OddRobotBand/
This review was written by Colin Clark.
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