A two-song 7” single from The Aquarium is appropriate. The DC duo of Laura Harris (drums) Jason Hutto (keyboards) play short, brash sing-alongs wherein they trade off on lead vocals, often singing together. The vibe is more reminiscent of the K Records sound than of the Dischord hardcore of yore, and the cacophony created is remarkable in that in comes from only two people — sans guitar and bass — and that it remains so catchy in spite of its quirkiness and volume.

I say that this is an appropriate length of a release because, despite their abilities to produce songs that get in your head and stay there, they seem to be a band best enjoyed live. There is a certain level of intimacy that comes with watching a two-piece perform that is less present in a more typical band structure, a dynamic of one-on-one interplay that makes the audience member feel more as though they are flies on the wall, eavesdropping on a private session between two people equally feeding off one another’s performance and cues.

Yet, in small doses on your stereo — especially for those of us who have not and may never experience The Aquarium in person — the band provides the equivalent of a shot of espresso, a quick burst that picks up the listener. The two tracks on this single, “Performer” and “Battle of the Bands,” feature the vocals of both Harris and Hutto on each track, though Harris provides the lead on “Performer” and Hutto takes his turn on the B-side. The obvious strength of the band, at least in my opinion, is when Harris sings the lead with Hutto performing in the background in his Calvin Johnson-ish drone. His voice grates on my ears a bit otherwise, as his strained warble over the keys is a little too reminiscent of Adam and His Package. All in all, though, a good little introduction to the band if you’ve not heard them yet. It’ll be out on August 24th on vinyl or as a digital download from Dischord.

(Dischord Records, 3819 Beecher St. NW, Washington, DC 20007-1802)