A Kid Named Thompson / Altus

Two newcomers from Texas team up for a split 7” release. You get one track each, generally falling within the bounds of the indie music circuit.

A Kid Named Thompson is not a one-man emo guitarist - thank goodness. This three-piece outfit instead offers up “Fall Down,” a three-minute venture of upbeat pop-rock. I’d liken them to Jimmy Eat World, thought the vocals aren’t quite as powerful. Nevertheless, this is solid stuff and I can get into it.

Altus occupy the flipside of the 7” with their four-minute piece “The Ghost in You.” The five-piece ensemble walks the line between 90’s indie/emo and modern pop-rock. You get a nice combination of The Get Up Kids, Mineral, and Rival Schools. The inclusion of pianos and the female vocals definitely gives the band a different vibe, but it works.

This split is a nice snapshot of these two groups. They both are honing in on their respective sounds and I can see both of them going places if given the proper coverage.

7.0 / 10 — Michael