Silver Scooter

This split EP leads off with four tracks by Silver Scooter and concludes with three from Cursive. Silver Scooter's songs aren't quite edgy enough to fall under a late '90s definition of "punk" — musically, they resemble a tighter Sebadoh — but the first two are terrific, catchy indie-rockers, followed by two moodier selections (one an instrumental) that showcase a different, equally effective side of the band. Cursive's three songs seem to borrow from the sort of dense, dissonant soundscapes created by post-hardcore bands like Quicksand and Fugazi, although Cursive is more deliberate and melodic than either of those groups. Perhaps the two don't fit well together on an EP, but there's plenty of potential showcased on both sides, and after all, that's the aim of a short, split release like this one.