Jawbreaker

It's ironic that premium Jawbreaker releases are also often the most obscure. One can only hope that a compilation will gather impossibly

hard-to-find songs such as "Caroline," "Rich," "Kiss the Bottle," "Equalized," and "With or Without You," among others. In the meantime, this shared EP features more hidden treasures. On their side, Jawbreaker provides the ironically titled "Split." Characterized by the haunting of raspy vocals and a multidirectional complex of pop, Blake Schwarzenbach and company prove that even a throwaway track from their nearly perfect Unfun album is still a classic.

The flip, with Samiam's "Head Trap," continues the quintet's abrasive power-pop-punk of thickly layered maturity that could blow away any three-chord Green Day wanna-be. Even if their side doesn't come near to the quality of Jawbreaker's, a high degree of fun is maintained throughout this EP -- something which is more important than two bands trying to out-rock each other. ~ Mike DaRonco, All Music Guide