Graceful fade-ins or -outs usually come as an artistic choice, one which selects one or the other for dramatic effect: a buildup or a slow-going teardown. “Lesson,” a one-off split contribution from Iowa’s Kayak Jones, opts to include both of these post-production flourishes as bookends to soul-splitting questioning, which rises and falls with shimmering and snaking guitar work. The highlight here stems from guitarist/vocalist Tyler Zumhof’s lifted vocals, which present themselves more like an exalting than exhaustion. The degree to which these cries are answered is never known, as the spoken word bridge still pleads for the eponymous lesson to be taught. What follows is a musical dismantling — drummer Brandon Blakeley and Zumhof create a wall of sound that begs to be broken via slicing chords. Rising from the ashes is a chance for enlightenment, or at least, a chance for clarity ringing through that graceful transition to silence. This Iowan band must have a few more points on its syllabus to sift through.

“Lesson” is included on Save Your Generation Records’ third TV Dinner split series alongside Backpacks, Hot Mulligan and the Tiny Ugly Germs. The 7″ will be available for purchase on random-colored wax (limited to 200 copies). You can pre-order your copy here and expect it around April 22nd, two weeks after the digital street date.



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