Orca Orca/ Qualms split 7"

Last week, Boston dream-poppers Orca Orca and Qualms released a collaborative split single on the web. Although all three musicians (Orca Orca is a one man affair and Qualms is a duo) played on both songs, the two songs have distinct enough feels to justify being separately credited. The Orca Orca track is another slice of the sort of mellowed out lo-fi pop that was unavoidable about two years ago. Vintage Casio tones, slightly more aggressive guitar work and vocals vaguely similar to Ben Gibbard keep the song distinct. The Qualms track is colder, sparser affair with hypnotic guitars and synth stabs swirling around two part vocals. Orca Orca's vocals fit the second track even better than his own, making me hope such a fruitful collaboration won't be relegated to just one single.

Check Out my original post on Orca Orca, and Qualm's first single below.

Orca Orca - Change of Pace / Get up Get Out

Orca Orca is the solo project of Boston native and pop-punk dreamer Jim Hewitt. His debut single (which you can download below for free!) straddles that fine line between breezy and lazy with surprising ease. The project is self classified as dream pop, and the texture is definitely there. I'm not so sure dream pop captures the whole picture though, as these songs stay snappy; bobbing and jumping where their peers just sway. Fans of Cloud Nothings or Unuomedude's more pensive moments will definitely approve.