Every place has it’s suite of sounds. Out in Amherst, for instance, there’s a strong math rock community. Two years back, THE SHARPEST, a star of that constellation, quietly shined TOPHET CHASM down on us, to scattered acclaim from as far as The UK, China, and elsewhere. More recently, they’ve shared a split 12” with like-minded Connecticutters WHITE SAVAGES. Two of the three Sharpest tracks can be heard from the Bandcamp mirror of the vinyl. First, ‘Ring’ indeed rings with sweet high-voice vocals over jazzy guitar and drum psychedelic prog-pop rhythms. Second, ‘On A Rail’ features more math-structure angularity, expressed in sunny textures and happy-sad vibes that you could well drop into your mix to enjoy an outdoor run all the more. They’re too organically variegated to be studio pieced-together, but seem more like live performance well-recorded with the joy of musical fellowship left intact. Compared with TOPHET CHASM, these pieces seem a bit lighter and summery, where that full album dove into pedaleffected rockier grooves. Both works speak well for the band as an act to look out for.

What with the recent St. Patrick’s Day riots in Amherst just behind us, house shows there are likely to see even further decline as police clamp down even harder on the wrong necks. On the upside, however, we might get some more visits here in town from our Western kin.