University student band Split Decision released their inaugural album Friday entitled “Easy Does It.” The nine-track, 33-minute album captures the college indie rock sound even while adding their own personal touches through dynamic solos and tasteful saxophone sounds. The instrumentation blends with lyrics that describe tumultuous relationships with an unconcerned attitude that tries to let go and focus on the simple joys.
Consisting of six University students and one recent graduate, the band members originally met through their membership in the Chi Phi fraternity at the University. They began playing together in the spring of 2022 and are now on their third iteration as members have graduated.
This new album was recorded almost entirely in Charlottesville, either in band members’ homes or the University Rap Lab, with the only exception being the drums which were recorded in Richmond.
The album opener, “Waiting for the Weekend,” immediately introduces us to the band’s playfulness when we hear Joe Leonard, lead singer and fourth-year Engineering student, ironically say “check, check, check … I’m not done yet.” The song is a powerful opener, with a catchy hook and familiar chord progression and rhythm, reminiscent of songs like “Looking Out for You” by Joy Again.
Travon Cervantes, saxophonist and Class of 2024 alumnus, said that “Waiting for the Weekend” is the only song on the album that the band actually sat down to write together. Most of the other songs were written with a piecemeal approach where members worked separately on instrumentals and lyrics.
“There was a mission to definitely make a song that day,” Cervantes said. “And we came up with a good product.”
Over the next two songs, Leonard sings about the pain of a crumbling relationship. On “The Weight,” he seems to know that he is going to get hurt, but still cannot pull himself away, singing “I’m trying to hide it / but I can’t help look the other way.” The opening riff, played by guitarist and fourth-year Engineering student Daniel Farmer, gives off a strong Jimi Hendrix influence from its tone and rhythm, leaning heavily into Split Decision’s classic rock sound.
Leonard’s signature vocal rasp combines with the powerful instrumental in a way that channels the anguish, or rather the weight, of a failed love. Just beyond the two minute mark, Farmer takes control and delivers a standout solo that highlights his talent as a guitarist.
The band follows this with “Hangin’ Around,” the first single the band ever released. The draw of the song comes from its nature as an earworm. Split Decision creates a feel-good vibe that encourages the listener to sing along and not think too hard. Farmer explained how this song embodies the spirit of this band and their message.
“If you listen to the songs in the order we made them all, you can kind of guess what’s going on at the time,” Farmer said. “We made ‘Hangin’ Around’ on a weekend where we were just sitting around, having a good time.”
The album is not perfect though. For example, the lyrics on this track can feel superficial, with lines like “chilling back on the couch / come on over just sit on down.” Moreover, the mix on “Westside” leaves more to be desired — the track contains some extraneous noises in the chorus, and in stereo. However, the song still has some amazing elements, including its Peach Pit-esque opening guitar. In addition, the song ends with a pleasing saxophone solo while drummer and fourth-year Engineering student Max Cresti hits a halftime breakdown.
The album’s mood takes a turn in “Renate” with Leonard trying to find himself, singing “Lost in time, but I’ll find my way” and “in this new place, nowhere to go.” Although the song’s verses can feel melodically repetitive, it is compositionally unique, with a change in time signature for the chorus as well as a keyboard solo — elements not found on any other song.
“Going Through the Motions” is one of the better executed songs on the album. Split Decision leans back into their bread-and-butter indie rock sound through dual reverb-soaked guitars, a high-energy drum beat, and an active bass line from Nick Kellogg, bassist and fourth-year College student.
Leonard’s lyrics also have a bit more depth here. He sings about barely holding his head above water, but uses the easygoing atmosphere of the band to prevent those feelings from bogging him down. During the chorus, he sings “You know you’ll be alright just work it out / You gotta keep it moving so you don’t drown.”
Split Decision takes their time with their penultimate track, “Easy Does It.” Its runtime is over a minute longer than the next longest song on the album, coming in at just under six minutes. The saxophone shines here, harmonizing with both the lead guitar and vocals during the verse and chorus respectively. It mainly makes its presence felt over the bridge though, where it gets a short solo that builds energy before Farmer once again delivers a blazing hot solo of his own before a final chorus.
The band concludes with “Same Old Stories,” the shortest song and only acoustic one. This song works well as an outro with the acoustic guitar accompaniment allowing Leonard to paint a picture with his lyrics. The song is bittersweet, with lines like “seasons change and so do you / very few things do stay true.” He explained that they came about through interactions with his father and his friends after coming home from college.
“When I was back home, my dad’s friends would always tell me about going to the bar, and they would always say ‘If you keep coming here you’ll just get dumber,’” Leonard said. “I thought that would be a funny song to write about but also had a deeper meaning.”
“Easy Does It” is a solid addition to the history of college rock band projects. Though it never truly challenges the listener lyrically or sonically, that was never the intention. Leonard’s straightforward lyrics pair well with the band’s guitar-driven instrumentals, and while they mainly stick to their core sound, Split Decision offers enough variety between songs to have each song feel distinct.
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