Pauses/Great Deceivers: 12 Split!

The split single from two Orlando bands, the Pauses and the Great Deceivers, is a nice bit of local scene pride and fun artwork on the face of it. But when it comes to which tracks are the best, the first band is the one to go for. The two Pauses tracks are engaging from the start, a kind of indie that eschews rock band setups for something a little more beat-oriented -- all without sounding like the second coming of Beck, thankfully enough. "The Beginnings of Things" sneaks in a little polite 21st century beat work in its rolling big indie, with singer Tierney Tough delivering her lines with alternately cool and strong style, while "Formerly" goes for acoustic guitars as the lead in a sweeter move. In comparison, the Great Deceivers tracks feel very early-'90s indie and are OK as such, but fairly nondescript otherwise. ~ Ned Raggett