City Riots - Sea Of Bright Lights (01/12/2012)
It's approaching twilight and you're in the car on the way back to a mate's place. Your hair is curled and stubborn from sea water, your skin blushed with Australian sun. Your friends talk around you and you feel your drowsiness slowly ebb through your body. It's a movie moment if there ever was one - you just need City Riots' Chase The Sun to top it all off.
When you think of summer, you think of parties, festivals, car trips with mates, no commitments. Each memorable aspect of your life has a soundtrack to go with it. The summer of 2012 is no exception; one listen to City Riots' debut LP, Sea of Bright Lights, and I knew I had found my album.
The boys from Melbourne have come a long way regarding their sound. From their EP Matchsticks (2011) they have developed and matured their music, creating tracks with obvious intention and insight. Even from the opening track, Turn, it's clear that City Riots know what they want to talk about. More importantly, they know how to do just that.
Dreamy vocals, provoking guitar riffs, and a laid-back tempo are the band's trademarks and they use these to create catchy, chilled songs. To their detriment, however, such placid music means that it can only be taken in short doses. Indeed, the LP lacks some of the bite Matchsticks had but is a joy to listen to nonetheless.
Every song on the record is an easy listen (all but Sucker Punch; its pop-y repetitiveness just irritates me. Let's ignore that, though). Sea of Bright Lights is the epitome of summer; of carefree days and chilled nights, of friendship and lust. Need a soundtrack for the next three months? This is it.
Olivia Fusca
When you think of summer, you think of parties, festivals, car trips with mates, no commitments. Each memorable aspect of your life has a soundtrack to go with it. The summer of 2012 is no exception; one listen to City Riots' debut LP, Sea of Bright Lights, and I knew I had found my album.
The boys from Melbourne have come a long way regarding their sound. From their EP Matchsticks (2011) they have developed and matured their music, creating tracks with obvious intention and insight. Even from the opening track, Turn, it's clear that City Riots know what they want to talk about. More importantly, they know how to do just that.
Dreamy vocals, provoking guitar riffs, and a laid-back tempo are the band's trademarks and they use these to create catchy, chilled songs. To their detriment, however, such placid music means that it can only be taken in short doses. Indeed, the LP lacks some of the bite Matchsticks had but is a joy to listen to nonetheless.
Every song on the record is an easy listen (all but Sucker Punch; its pop-y repetitiveness just irritates me. Let's ignore that, though). Sea of Bright Lights is the epitome of summer; of carefree days and chilled nights, of friendship and lust. Need a soundtrack for the next three months? This is it.
Olivia Fusca