On Barnswallow’s “Josephine” EP, charming melodies peek their way through a wall of distorted guitars. The title track shifts between a radio-ready chorus and radiant chords and drums big enough to fill a stadium. On “Exhale,” the band again moves from sing-song melodies to guitar solos with just the right amount of almost-too-much overdrive, before dropping everything but a treble-boosted guitar for its two-minute outro. With the inclusion of an acoustic version of “Exhale,” the “Josephine” EP is the closest that Rhode Island’s Atomic Action! Records gets to easy listening, so if you’re on the lookout for more local hardcore tunes, head on over to the label’s Bandcamp page. – Jake Reed
