Stream City

Welcome Paramnesia EP

Written by: PP on 26/10/2011 06:20:29

Danish progressive punk rockers Stream City exploded to the local scene last year with the release of "Hello Gravity" EP, a wonderfully original and refreshing record that sounded like no-one else at the time of its release. Most other bands in the folk punk scene had gone for the crazed anarchy sound in the vein of old school Against Me! and other more traditional folk/singer-songwriter inspired bands, but Stream City went the opposite direction and delivered a set of infectious and violin-driven progressive songs that were still punk rock at heart.

Fast-forward one year ahead, and there still aren't other punk bands successfully integrating a high-intensity violin into their sound whose name doesn't start with Yellow and end with card. So why fix what isn't broken? "Welcome Paramnesia", the second six track EP by Stream City, picks up exactly where "Hello Gravity" left off, featuring only minor (mostly cosmetic) fine-tuning to their sound to the extent that the two EPs could easily make up a coherent album if put together. And that's simultaneously its biggest strength and its weakness.

On one hand, progressive songs that combine a d-beat with high-end violin melodies and a ton of energy, such as the title track, "Wheel Of Fortune" or "Shores Of Lethe", continue the stream of awesome we encountered on their debut EP, with catchy songwriting embedded within ridiculously fast and technical structures, but at the same time, they offer nothing you wouldn't have heard done just as well on "Hello Gravity". Moreover, the surprise factor that impacts a first time Stream City listener due to the sheer uniqueness of their sound isn't there anymore, which somewhat reduces the effect that the band has on someone more familiar with the band's style.

That said, a few additions and changes have certainly been made. "In Limbo", for instance, sports a violin/guitar dynamic that sounds a little bit like the Balkan rhythms purveyed by gypsy punkers Gogol Bordello. The record also carries a much darker form of melody than its predecessor overall, which had moments of bright guitar melody as opposed to the more metallic sound of many of the solos here.

So what to think of the EP? It's a good second effort at the same style, but for their full length Stream City might need to re-invent themselves to stay fresh. That said, since they are capable of writing impressive material like "Wheel Of Fortune", chances are that's exactly what they'll do.

7

Download: Wheel Of Fortune, Shores Of Lethe
For the fans of: RX Bandits & Catch 22 collaborating with Gogol Bordello
Listen: Soundcloud

Release date 01.10.2011
Self-Released

Welcome Paramnesia by Stream City

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