The mathy, melodic, hard-charging Tallahassee emo quartet Pool Kids earned Band To Watch status with last year’s breakout self-titled album. Today they’ve returned with a case of split personalities. The new release Pool Kids // POOL is a split EP featuring three songs from Pool Kids and three from POOL, their hardcore alter ego. That’s right: They released a split EP with themselves.

The first three songs present Pool Kids at their softest and dreamiest, subbing out their usual technical guitar prowess for an emphasis on poppy atmospherics. New offering “No Stranger” is followed by alternate versions of Pool Kids tracks “Talk Too Much” and “Arm’s Length.” All the heaviness seems to have been extracted and funneled directly into the trio of POOL tracks, which are filthy, nasty, absolutely grotesque death metal-adjacent immolations. I can’t make out many of the harshly screamed lyrics, but “Keep your fucking mouth shut!” came through loud and clear.

Stream the Pool Kids/POOL split below.

TOUR DATES:
07/06 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups #
07/07 – Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s #
07/08 – Pontiac, MI @ The Pleasant Underground Festival #
07/09 – Cudahy, WI @ X-Ray Arcade [LOW TICKETS] #
07/11 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre #
07/12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court #
07/14 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill #
07/15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo [LOW TICKETS] #
07/16 – Phoenix, AZ @ Rebel Lounge #
07/18 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk [SOLD OUT] #
07/19 – Denton, TX @ Andy’s #
07/21 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade #
07/22 – Tampa, FL @ New World Music #
07/23 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub [SOLD OUT] #
07/24 – Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern #
07/25 – Richmond, VA @ Canal Club #
07/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe #
07/28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Ukie Club [LOW TICKETS] #
07/29 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room [SOLD OUT] #
07/30 – Boston, MA @ Crystal Ballroom #
08/01 – Washington, DC @ Songbyrd [SOLD OUT] #
08/04 – New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 ^
08/07 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Listening Lawn Outdoor Stage *
08/08 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room *
08/09 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre *
08/11 – Kansas City, MO @ The Rino
08/12 – St. Louis, MO @ Old Rock House
08/13 – Nashville, TN @ The End
09/16 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
10/27-29 – Gainesville, FL @ The Fest

# with support from Sydney Sprague and Chase Petra
^ supporting The Mountain Goats
* supporting Soccer Mommy