Various Artists
If we were oceans
Tract Records

Tract Records really knows how to put together a pretty good split and by doing it with four artists they really know how to maximize the releases' potential. It begins with two stellar contributed by Kristofer Åström, who gives two solid tracks (on top of the four he'd already released this year). I had come to the conclusion long ago that this man should be releasing albums whenever he wants, and this gives him the opportunity to. Stylistically, Racingpaperplanes is the perfect segue into the rest of the split, with a beautiful acoustic number right after KÅ's numbers, followed by more fleshed out efforts, but still retaining the soft, somberness. Boy Omega brings all to the table with perhaps the album's most spectacular track in "Fool around". The composition of this song is absolutely gorgeous with its subdued melody, but by contributing four songs, one feels like maybe it's a little heavy ("For I cannot breathe" could have been dropped, mainly for continuity purposes). Two Times The Trauma closes out the session with two rather moody electronic-influenced tracks and an acoustic number in the middle, yet the acoustic track makes the most sense on this album and in my eyes is the far superior of the songs.
- Matt Giordano