I was extremely to excited when I found out Broadway Calls had signed to No Sleep Records. I became more excited when I found out that they were going to be releasing a split with Mixtapes entitled Vision Quest. I could only hope that this was going to a split full of feel good punk rock.
Broadway Calls starts off the split with “Open Letter”, instantly catchy as the drums and guitar gain your attention. The vocals begin, giving you the feeling that Broadway Calls is back and stronger than ever. The bass tone in this song fills you ears with those late 90s/early 2000s punk rock vibes that Broadway Calls executes so perfectly. After “Open Letter”, Broadway Calls keeps that vibe going with “You Got Me”. The vocal harmonies on this track are especially enjoyable. It amazes me that this song, just under two and a half minutes, can leave your ears so satisfied. “You Got Me” seems to begin and end just at the right moments. The outro promises a very bright outcome for Broadway Calls’ future tunes.
Next up is Mixtapes. This band has always been a go to choice for me when it comes to feel good punk rock. The first track, “Little Miami”, proves that Mixtapes is only going to get better with each song they release. Usually when a split is released soon after a band’s full length you just think to yourself, “Oh, that was probably just a b-side from the album.” This is not the case with “Little Miami” as the progression between Vision Quest and Even On The Worst Nights is so obviously clear. After hearing “Little Miami”, I was sure that this was going to be the best Mixtapes song to date, I was wrong. I was in love with “Puzzle Part 2 (I Don’t Believe In Ghosts)” as soon as it started. I couldn’t help but to think of how much parts of this track reminded me of blink-182’s Dude Ranch. Obviously that is not a bad thing at all, “Puzzle Part 2 (I Don’t Believe In Ghosts)” is easily the best song Mixtapes has ever created. This already has me excited for the band’s next release.
In the end if you’re not familiar with either of these bands, but are looking for some feel good punk rock, this is the split for you. Anyone who is a fan of punk rock bands from the late 90s to early 2000s are going to enjoy this release. Aside from that, people who are already fans of Mixtapes or Broadway Calls are going to be very, very satisfied with Vision Quest. Both bands are doing their sound better than they ever have before.
Links: Broadway Calls – Mixtapes – Pre-Order
