Cities – Cities

Take A Trip Into Cities

When a group of friends discuss their love of music, it rarely turns into the formation of a breakout band. But that was the fortunate occurrence for these North Carolina college students with their self-titled debut album Cities. Luckily, they are not all talk.Cities takes the key elements they adore in bands like Radiohead, and blends them with eerie overtones that would fit perfectly in a teen slasher film. The authority the band has over mood is obvious in “A Theme” and “Capital.” Guitarist Robbie Mackey’s prophetic chord intros in songs like “Ooc” pull you in, as the peddling drums of Joey Ingram make you yearn for the impeding, faster rhythm. Each pause or dark thump off Jeremy Paschall’s bass in songs like “Barricades and Garrisons,” is perfectly placed. You realize the band is not only in control of their instruments, but of their listener’s reactions as well.

The crisp orchestration does not stop with their pristine instrumentation. “Lakes” and “Lancer” display Josh Nowlan’s ethereal voice, bringing a sometimes angelic, sometimes seductive pleading to the album. However his vocals are not the center point of the band, but rather a mere contribution to the tone Cities tries to exude. This leaves listeners struggling to identify what Nowlan is saying between the cries and moans of his lyrics.

Though Cities succeeds in standing out from other rock bands, the individual songs carry such a similar feel that it is difficult to tell them apart. But for a debut album, Cities shows that a love for rock and talented friends can take you out of the small city and straight to the big time.