Fivestar Riot overturns expectations on their five-track EP "Unfamiliar Sky" - in more ways than one.
I thought I was going to hear a paint-by-numbers post-grunge band before I played the album. However, that wasn't the case presented with the opening title track with its skittery electronic beats and robotic drums a la Radiohead. It's a sneakily deceptive way of introducing the group. But then it abruptly ends, giving way to "Better," which is the '90s-styled alternative rock I had been anticipating from the beginning.
And Fivestar Riot do it well.
Fans of Sunny Day Real Estate and even the Foo Fighters should find solace in the group's sonic terrain, melodic guitars busting through the speakers with intense adolescent emotions. Vocalist Charlie Cote has a passionate voice, and his sincerity brings depth to his lyrics.
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Aside from the too-short "Unfamiliar Sky," Fivestar Riot have a good chance of performing well on modern-rock radio. Should they decide to do a full-length album, it'll be a record I'll toss on the player immediately.
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