The term “power pop” has gotten a bad rap over the years. Some
\npeople just insist on seeing it as a negative thing when a guitar
\nband balances fat riffs and scorching solos with an ear for melody
\nand choruses that stick in your head.<\/p>\n
Personally, I’ve never understood that kind of thinking\u2026
\nand neither has Four Star Riot. This Tampa, Florida quartet’s
\ntwin-guitar attack harnesses throbbing rock and roll energy to
\ncraftsmanlike pop structure and produces all kinds of sparks on
\nTonight & Tomorrow<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Take the track “Tell Me Tomorrow” — it may have a sing-along
\nchorus right out of a 1981 Journey single, but Mike Chilton’s
\nthrashing drums and Steve Alex’s desperate wail of a lead vocal
\ngive the song an appealing edge. Rounding out FSR’s tight, potent
\nlineup are Johnny Deliz on bass and Finn Walling (who also recorded
\nand mixed this disc) on guitar and vocals.<\/p>\n
On the terrific “Punchdrunk,” they mix a Gin Blossoms-y chorus
\nfull of turbo-charged guitar with turned-down, almost reggae
\nverses, building steadily to a furious finish. “Ready &
\nWaiting” has the same kind of combustibility, easing off on the
\nverses before exploding into the choruses. On the softer side are
\nthe nicely building (let’s not call them power ballads, ‘kay?)
\nmid-tempo tracks “They All Want U” and “Beautiful Soul.”<\/p>\n
The disc does peter out a bit in the fourth quarter — “Love
\nCounterfeit” and “There It Goes” burn brightly on the musical end
\nbut suffer from forgettable lyrics. Fortunately, the disc finishes
\non an up note with the appealing “Golden Age,” another
\nsteady-building number.<\/p>\n
\nTonight & Tomorrow<\/i> is Four Star Riot’s third
\nself-released disc. The band has been hailed by local radio and
\nnational music magazines and played a showcase at this year’s South
\nBy Southwest convention. They’re on the cusp, in other words; they
\njust need that one big break. This disc of high-energy power pop
\nwill surely help their case.<\/p>\n