Here’s What The Critics Say About Splitsville...

“In today's sea of musical mediocrity floats at least one buoy of hope: Splitsville.”
     -Amplifier Magazine

“Incorporated is a complete and perfect album that begs to be heard from start to finish.”
     -BigO.com

“As a full-fledged quartet who tour regularly, Splitsville is a tight band that isn't afraid to flaunt their musical skills to great advantage. That they manage to do so with such a level of consistently fine song craft is the real wonder.  Incorporated not only is a fine addition to Splitsville's past canon, it raises the musical bar even higher and ultimately leaves you wanting more.”
     -Fufkin.com (read the full transcript at the bottom of this page)

“Splitsville’s lush melodies and harmonies don’t mess around.”
     -The Washington Post

“Splitsville is a DANGEROUS band!”
     -Amplifier Magazine

“You gotta share music this good...”
     -Crazewire.com

“A solid power-pop record if ever there was one…All that really matters is that kids love it. Or they ought to, anyway.”
     - The Onion A/V Club

“A perfectly harmonized sound injected with a confident, almost reckless spirit.”
“Sunny hooks, treble washes, simmering vocals, (and) stratosphere-soaring guitar solos...”
     -Baltimore City Paper

“A master work of the kind that combines efficiently electric discharges of high voltage with melodies and vocal harmonies of imperishable spirit.”
     -IndyRock (Spain)

“This has the highest ratio of inescapable hooks and unforgettable choruses than anything currently on the radio.”
     -CDreviews.com

“Can’t-get-them-out-of-your-head-for-days material.”
     -Chart (Toronto)

“A delight.”
     -alterEGO (Spain)

online reviews...

Amplifier Magazine
Baltimore City Paper (review)
Baltimore City Paper (article)
Gary Glauber's review from Fufkin.com (full transcript below)
Mike Bennett's review from Fufkin.com
Kevin Mathews from BigO.com
Scott Homewoodd from CdReviews.com
Lee Zimmerman at South Florida's Entertainment News & Views

'Album of the Year' listings

Amplifier Magazine
Cherry Bombs (UK)
Power of Pop


Spanish tour and CD reviews

Guia del Ocio
Murcia Rock
Europa Sur
El Estrecho
La Verdad

Gary Glauber reviews Incorporated...

February 2004

"It's a matter of quality - with their fifth release Incorporated, Splitsville has never been in a better space. Confident, assured and able to transcend a variety of musical styles, these are guys who know their stuff and deliver it with a level of studio expertise that approaches fine art. What's more is that they manage to retain the atmosphere of fun that has always been their trademark.

This ten-track gem of an album grows on you, releasing its diverse surprises and subtle hooks over the course of repeated listens. At first listen, you might think it's decent. By the tenth listen, you'll know it's superb.

That is the musical magic perpetrated by veteran power pop rockers Splitsville (formed out of the ashes of The Greenberry Woods) in this, their latest and arguably greatest yet.

The band has become a solid quartet with the addition of talented guitarist/vocalist Tony Waddy. He joins the seasoned lineup of the twin brothers Huseman (Matt on guitar and lead vocals primarily, Brandt on drums, percussion and vocals) and Paul Krysiak (bass, keyboards and vocals), and the results are mighty fine.

Working again with producer Dave Nachodsky, Splitsville assemble a set that covers a fairly good expanse of musical styles (but perhaps not quite so wide a realm as the selections found on 1998's Repeater) in a clean, controlled way. There is nothing casual or happenstance about this music - it's all well thought out and expertly executed, from the nuances and leads to the clever lyrics.

The opening track "White Dwarf" moves between soft and hard, going from gently strummed opening guitar and bass to the heavy driving chords that back most of this spare lyrical contemplation of our cosmic inadequacy in communicating our ideas, dreams and spiritual aspects. There's a wonderful Tony Waddy guitar lead in mid-song that grows before the singer's eventual concession to keep his feet "on solid ground."

The infectious "Brink" finds Splitsville back in familiar territory - rocking and having fun whilst exploring the relationship between bands, their fans, and musical choices. Brandt and Paul show why their rhythm section is second to none, as Splitsville come out against the fakery of other bands, and for music that rocks and doesn't suck. My favorite parts here are those that add subtle fun: a harmonic nod to Van Halen's "Dance The Night Away" and the slight delay before the word "delay."

"Heart Attack" is a strange hybrid that works well. Blend the funk of Hendrix with imagery that recalls John Cougar Mellencamp's heartland characters, then mix it up with strong beats and delayed line repeats and you'll get an approximation of the strange energy that fuels this eclectic yet irrepressible song. Once the song catches you, you'll be amazed at how many elements work effectively as clever hooks.

"Headache" is about as catchy as any Fountains of Wayne song, yet manages to take on the world's worries and concerns, a ruined day hiding from the bad news outside and stuck in a distant relationship and more - well, it's more than enough to give anyone a headache (and also gives a tip o' the hat to John Lennon's "nothing's gonna change my world"). I also bet you'll find yourself humming the backup "I know" vocals inadvertently.

"The Next One" is a power ballad partly about a desire to escape the nightmare of life's addictions (drugs, alcohol) and the false hope that someone else will turn one's ship around: "I'd do anything to get you out of here / stained in chemicals / soaked in mother's tears / faceless criminals are puncturing your skin / life is pouring out / but love is rushing in."

Perhaps the prettiest track here is the Beatle-esque "Sasha," in which a friend offers consolation and advice to one who runs away from the people who love her: "No one's perfect / don't you know that this is part of the design / close your eyes and try to remember that everything will be alright." Matt Huseman dishes up emotive vocals to pop perfection, and a home tape recording "demo" serves as poignant coda.

There's not a weak track among the ten. Everybody's favorite state is the target of "California," portrayed here as the last mindless stop, a host of natural disasters waiting to happen (fires in the San Fernando Valley, tremors in San Francisco, etc.) - "Now you're over, done, you're undermined / last cigarette on the firing line / you're into the blue / you're out of mind / now we have California." Check out the fine harmonies (Splitsville always makes it sound easy), the great leads and the excellent middle bridge. This is power pop at its rocking best.

As these guys mature, there's a greater complexity in much of the songwriting and arrangements. That's evident here even on a somewhat somber adult ballad. "The Mentalist" features a narrator dissatisfied with life, used and not trusting, uncomfortable in his own skin and wanting a second chance on life ("blissfully ignorant and easily satisfied"), who comes to the ultimate realization that "it's hard to be the strong one."

Those aching for the post-punk fun of those early Splitsville releases will find comfort in "Trouble." It's the tale of the opinionated and wrong-headed Cathy (who espouses nothing but trouble). Here again the fine skills of the rhythm section are in evidence, from Paul Krysiak's limber and smooth bass lines (and lead), to Brandt Huseman's drumming.

The CD closes with a quiet relationship song that manages to transcend the usual. "I Wish I Never Met You" deals with the situation of the friend who wishes he was more than that, and does so admirably well. Here are some of the wonderful lyrics: "You never show me the poetry you keep under your bed / the sentimental stories and bitter words you wish you might have said / that crawl up through the top sheet and penetrate my sweet dreams 'til I'm the one that can't sleep."

As a full-fledged quartet who tour regularly, Splitsville is a tight band that isn't afraid to flaunt their musical skills to great advantage. That they manage to do so with such a level of consistently fine songcraft is the real wonder. Then again, perhaps the biggest mysteries are why they're not better known, their music not wildly popular.

This superb album is extremely well put-together. Incorporated is the product of a mature confidence that's been earned over the years. It not only is a fine addition to Splitsville's past canon, it raises the musical bar even higher and ultimately leaves you wanting more."

-Gary Glauber
Fufkin.com


 

"Pop has become a dirty word to anyone with more taste than what’s in their mouth. It speaks volumes about popular trends that cookie cutter mediocrity is celebrated with riches and fame, never mentioning the fast food wrapper toss-a-bility of it all. Enter in Splitsville, a nattily dressed quartet who redeem the word and make you grin the same way obvious touchstones like Big Star and the Beatles once did. That’s some big shoes being jammed on their toes but Splitsville walks the walk just fine.

Over the course of six albums they’ve honed things to a fine edge, something sharp and direct, expressed in four-minute rides to Heaven. “Sasha” and “The Mentalist” are the kind of songs you make friends sit down and listen to. You gotta share music this good. Hard, diamond tipped guitars rattle as their full bore Eric Carmen-esque vocals glide over honey melodies pricked with soft soul strut, fuzz vocal yum and neat stops & turns. In a just radio scheme, there’d be less of “Stacy’s Mom” and more genuinely bright music with layers to reward your incessant playing of it (which is a forgone conclusion once you get a taste…). Their themes are smart & adult as Steely Dan without having to be clever or cruel like the Dan. Bassist/singer Paul Krysiak says, “But none of them does it treat so gravely that you can’t have fun listening.” Fun listening! What a fab concept and what a fine band to deliver on it."

-Dennis Cook on Splitsville's Incorporated
Crazewire.com


Splitsville Virtual Promo Kit
printable biography
printable reviews



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