PENs+ (Photo courtesy of Lauren Records)

San Jose’s Lauren Records has done a bang-up job of documenting its local scene, but it hasn’t let that regional focus keep it from finding new things outside of the Bay Area. Today, The A.V. Club is streaming the label’s latest, a split release between San Jose’s Leer and Tokyo’s PENs+. Though the bands call two different countries home, they are unified by the math-rock songs they offer up here. PENs+ brings a bit more melody to its songs, finding ways to make all that dashing across the fretboard still feel accessible, whereas Leer turns up the distortion and flirts with combustive post-hardcore arrangements. The split sees each band in top form, offering some of their most potent material, making for the best kind of split 7-inch.


Pre-orders for the split are available now through Lauren Records.