Jolly Rancher, the a-side of the new single by Philadelphia’s Sympathizers is an excellent, quirky track reminiscent of Westing-era Pavement, but a little lighter on The Fall references. While the track is extremely enjoyable and well put together, it does nothing to prepare the listener for B-side of the seven. “Highway Cleaner (remix)” is the kind of rock-electro hybrid that seems totally devoid of influences. Off-kilter electronics mix with snarled vocals to create something that is not familiar and yet not totally disturbing. While we never get to hear the original version of “Highway Cleaner,” the remix deconstructs any and all ideas we get of the rock band that is featured on the a-side. It is a total original and by far the best b-side I’ve heard this year. As a small slice of music, Sympathizers manage to show two extremely different sides of the band, and that is bodes well for future larger samplings of their music. – Larry Hess