Reviews

Deadline has what a good split should have—two bands diverse enough that both halves of the record aren't the same damn thing and yet similar enough that they're likely to hook at least some of each other's fans. They've also both got the socio-political lyrics of a similar breed, if not exactly of the same mold. Leftover Crack and Citizen Fish go a ways back if you count the Subhumans tours and what not, so it's really cool to see them recording something like this together, especially when Citizen Fish hasn't recorded in nearly five years.
 
Each band has five brand new tracks of its own for Deadline, as well as two covers apiece—one of the other band, and one of the other band's other band…i.e. Citizen Fish covers a Leftover Crack song, as well as a Choking Victim track. Leftover Crack also works in an intro before their half. So, that’s 5+2+5+2+1. That's 15 tracks. Got it?
 
It's the UK's ska-punk veterans who strike first with seven great tracks. A quick horn intro leads into Dick Lucas's opening line, "How to change the word? What a question." This precedes the band's rendition of Choking Victim's "Money." It's a decent cover, but doesn't match Citizen Fish's original material on this split.
 
CF’s half of Deadline really starts to pick up with "Meltdown," which features an incredibly simple construction with an incredibly catchy feel to it, while the lyrics deal with…well…water, or lack thereof. "Getting Used to It" and "Back to Square One," add to the musical diversity of Citizen Fish's half, which sounds amazingly varied while seeming effortless in the band's performance.
 
Citizen Fish's take on "Clear Channel (Fuck Off)" ends the first half, and again, it's a decent interpretation but it doesn't come close to the band's original tracks.
 
"Jesus, fuck! That's a lot of pigs!" In keeping with tradition, Leftover Crack starts their portion with an introduction stating the band's estimations of "an excess of a billion police in this world," and while I can't say that I share the band's credo that the only good cop's a dead cop, I would have expected nothing less from Leftover Crack.
 
And regardless of the message, the raspy howl of Sturg is a great lead-in to "Baby-Punchers," an amazingly amazing track. Many parts of the song, specifically as the manifesto a minute 55 into it builds, reminds me of Bomb the Music Industry's "Side Projects Are Never Successful," which, if you don't know, kicks ass.
 
"Genocidal Tendencies," and the following two tracks bring a more straightforward punk punch with them before what is possibly the most interesting track Leftover Crack offers on Deadline, "World War 4." Its ballad-esque sound may throw a few listeners for a loop, and Stza even commented at a recent show that fans didn't seem to know what to make of it live. Still, it's a great track that offers something different from Team Crack.
 
Both the cover of Citizen Fish's "The Super-Market Song," as well as that of Subhumans' "Reason for Existence," are cool because they definitely add an LOC spin to the songs. But, similar to the Citizen Fish half, Leftover Crack's own tracks are much more enticing. The two covers also make for a weak way to end the album as a whole; while the cross-covering can usually be one of the most interesting elements of a split, both bands here are much more appealing with their own material.
 
The packaging of Deadline has to be mentioned, as—in my opinion—it's almost worth the $10 price of the split itself. The art credits are almost as extensive as those of the bands. The CD is encased in a digipak, the cover of which is done by Dick Lucas himself. One inside panel and the back cover are scratch-art pieces done by Erik Drooker that closely tie into the themes of the music. The other inside panel contains the credits, while another picture is printed on the disc. The booklet itself reflects the split, with each half having its distinct style, which includes liner notes and an interview with a sock monkey in the Leftover Crack half.
 
Overall, it's not a perfect record, but both bands do a great job and it's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of both, one, or the other, or you're just in the market for some new, kickass punk music. And now, to quench my uncanny urge to give out some awards…
 
Better Half Overall: Citizen Fish (by a hair)
Better Liner Notes: Leftover Crack
Favorite CF Song: "Meltdown"
Best LOC Song and Best Song Title on Split: "Baby-Punchers"