Restless Streets

In, And On Myself EP

Written by: PP on 30/10/2012 14:43:54

One of the most promising EPs I've heard recently comes from the Albany, NY based Restless Streets, whose debut EP "In, And On Myself" plays by all the rules set by the scene/post-hardcore rulebook in 2012, starting from polished production and one chord breakdowns, through slick clean singing melodies and throaty screaming to subdued electronics embedded to the mix. The clean singing takes its cues from bands like Saosin and In Fear And Faith, whereas the screaming is a lot harsher and recalls the style used by both Zao and Fear Before The March Of Flames (early material mostly).

It's a rather theatrical form of post-hardcore that on paper sounds plain and identical to the rest of the scene, but where Restless Streets start making a name for themselves is with their impeccable flair for catchy chorus melodies. The emotionally charged croons in "IJUSTWANTYOUHOME" are undeniably infectious, perhaps even more so than any new post-hardcore band I've heard in the last couple of years. It's hard not to sing or hum along, especially because the clean vocalist avoids singing at a sky-high pitch. Instead, he goes for the medium-high range, which ensures he doesn't sound like a pre-puberty teen (for the most part), while also demonstrating his high-capacity as a vocalist to sing a) on pitch and b) deliver a super catchy melody convincingly.

Sure, elsewhere Restless Streets move into borderline metalcore, such as on "Dr. Doctor!" which starts with dynamic riffs and aggressive screaming, before regressing into generic instrumentation that you'll hear played by literally any Rise Records band today. Fortunately, the vast majority of time is spent in sparkly post-hardcore melodies where the metalcore-ish passages function merely as contrast to the softer and more melodic side to the band. Moreover, the clean vocalist is good enough to drive the songs home by himself even when the rest of the band moves into genericore territory, so it's just a matter of developing their songwriting further before they're ready to challenge the elite within the genre. EP's worth purchasing for "IJUSTWANTYOUHOME" alone, but the remaining three tracks are insanely catchy as well.

Download: IJUSTWANTYOUHOME
For the fans of: In Fear And Faith, Of Mice & Men, Blessthefall, A Skylit Drive
Listen: Facebook

Release date 12.06.2012
InVogue Records

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