In Between

Still EP

In Between are mining an often neglected field of rich melodic punk/hardcore influences, and it helps them stand out in a curious way. On their third EP and No Sleep debut, In Between imagine Polar Bear Club staying musically truer to the inspiration responsible for the latter's name, Silent Majority, as well as an act SM often found themselves compared to: Avail. Together, this makes for five strong tracks exploring self-worth and the debilitating effects of drug dependency through gruffly howled vocals, playful riffing (“Arm, Leg, Leg, Arm, Head”), methodical slow-burning (“I've Paid (Recognize),” which features a soft, trumpet-assisted outro courtesy of Nemesis' Scott Brown) and some of the best, variable dynamics—from vocal delivery to tempo—a band of this style can chew out (the Denis Johnson short story-referencing “Steady Hands At Seattle General”). It's hard to sound genuinely beat down and still having fun at the same time, but In Between pull it off on Still in spades. 

No Sleep http://www.nosleeprecords.com

“Steady Hands At Seattle General”