Album Review: Split by Trophy Jump and afewyearslater

Split EPs are great. Often a band you're a fan of will release one with a band you've never heard of before that you quickly become a fan of. This was the case for me when our friends in Croatian punk rockers Trophy Jump released a four song split with Hungarian band afewyearslate.

afewyearslater kick off the EP with the fifty-five second long It's A No. This was a great introduction to a band I hadn't heard of before. During the track's short duration they managed to display all that afewyearslater are about. It's a melodic pop punk style with gruff vocals that are easy to sing along to. The song is about being angry and frustrated with how the powers that be treat people and wanting to rebel against this.

Trophy Jump's first song is titled Glass Bell. This is a much poppier affair than afewyearslater's effort. This doesn't stop it having the same impactful meaning though as Antun sings about those people who talk about living life to the fullest but in reality just do what they're told or what they think they're supposed to do.

Go On is the name of afewyearslater's second offering. It covers a similar theme to Glass Bell, perhaps even takes it a step further by encouraging people to go their own way and aim for their dreams. I wonder if this was intentional by both bands or just a bit of luck. The song seems to have a higher tempo than It's A No does, giving it more of a sense of urgency. I loved the positive message in the song.

The split is completed by Trophy Jump and the song Bazooka Blaze. When I read the name of the song, I thought that Bazooka Blaze sounds like the name of a cheesy kids superhero character. It turns out the song is about a person who runs round saving drunk people from criminals. I assume this song is just a bit of fun but I seriously hope there is someone running around in Croatia doing this. This song put such a smile on my face from the first time I listened to it and it got bigger and bigger as the song went on.

I really enjoyed this split. It's short and sweet and a great showcase for both bands. If you don't know either band yet, then I highly suggest you check them out.

Stream and download the split on Bandcamp here.

Like Trophy Jump on Facebook here and like afewyearslater on Facebook here.

This review was written by Colin Clark.