Side A 
Into It. Over It., aka Evan Weiss, kicks off the beginning of the IIOI/KOJI split with the slow builder, “Wicker Park.” With rattling hits on the snare and a lulling strum of the guitar, Weiss builds and layers the first of his five songs about Chicago until it perfectly sets up “Humboldt.” 

With help from Nick of Castevet, “Humboldt” is hands-down the best track on the split, featuring a strong full-band feel and maintaining Weiss’s intimacy and connection to the listener. Though his vocals are great on slower songs like “Wicker Park,” they become a treat on “Humboldt” leading the track coupled with driving guitars and giving it priceless energy. 

“Ravenswood” starkly contrasts “Humboldt” and is a better match to “Wicker Park,” but it provides a nice, quick, and memorable interlude between Into It. Over It.’s faster songs. Starting slow, the track picks up speed just before transitioning into the killer. “Pilsen” might be one of Evan’s most straightforward and hard-hitting songs, as the backing band builds a strong foundation to the vocals: “Hey man // What kind of scam are you running here.” And it doesn’t slow down there. Weaving through verses and choruses, Evan is able to once again establish another perfect song on the split. 

“Logan Square” brings Into It. Over It.’s side to a close in a stunning fashion. Beautifully laid out guitar parts quickly set a somber mood joint with backing “Oh’s” that give the track a simple yet impressive sort of depth. Weiss, in a hell of an emotive style, sings “Without a plan or pretense // I’ll appear relentless // Cowardly and cold” to cement the track as a staple on rainy day.  

Side B 
Koji’s side on split beautifully mirror’s Into It. Over It.’s with both slow and fast paced songs. “Most Of Everything” is a perfect follow up to Weiss’s “Logan Square” and is similar to “Wicker Park” as it slowly builds over airy back vocals and guitar strums. The split is absolutely Koji’s best work as his vocal and guitar work shine under great production that is only hinted at on “Most Of Everything.” 

“All Below” is a pick-me-up in both pace and mood. Palm-muted chords under Koji’s raw vocals and a driving drumbeat provide the setting for a perfect sing-along song as Koji slyly proclaims, “You tell a lie // It echoes on // It echoes on // You cross the line // The line holds on // The line holds on.” His punk and activist upbringing combine in a perfect post-punk/indie landscape clearly visible in this song. 

“Matches” is to “Most of Everything” what “Ravenswood” is to “Humboldt,” slowing down the tempo similarly— but that’s not to say it’s a throw-away. Over a simple guitar part, Koji’s vocals take the lead and provide an easy way to focus on the lyrics. The track hits stride in its bridge when strums become present to only keep pace every four beats and Koji taps his guitar to keep pace with himself, letting his vocals once again be the song’s center of balance. Claps end and transition the song into “Shift,” which features a full-band effort similar to “All Below,” but with a much greater pull. Building and building, the song explodes as Koji exclaims, “I don’t think I’m gonna run no more” below quickly fizzling into the split’s closer. 

“Giants Sleeping” holds similar to Into It. Over It.’s “Logan Square,” but is slightly more head-on. The song is a solely acoustic effort with drums provided by Brad of La Dispute that seem distant in the background. Koji’s singer/songwriter presence becomes most effective as he sings, “Finding it easier to leave than to stay // Rushing in // Rushing out of the infinite day.” Shortly after, a lulling synth part transitions out the drums and leads into seconds of Koji alone with his acoustic guitar that brings the split to a close. 

****.5/****