AlterMusic

With their buoyant brand of energetic, anthemic pop, Big City Rock has made a name for themselves as one of the West Coasts most dynamic new bands. Now the Los Angeles-based quintets self-titled Atlantic debut album is set to let the rest of the world in on what their faithful fan following has known from the start. Front-loaded with killer hooks, mouth-watering melodies, and a uniquely affirmative worldview, songs like 'Human' and 'All Of The Above' instantly establish Big City Rock as a band with the sound and vision to match their moniker.

A timely collision of 21st-century punk rock and 1980s new wave, complete with vintage synthesizer licks, Big City Rock's self-titled debut is a catchy collection of songs that recall early U2, without the messianic overtones--BCR's only objective is to conquer the dance floor. The commercial-sounding "All of the Above" is classic stadium rock with a contemporary twist, and "I Believe in You" is big-box romance, with chiming guitars and a crowd-pleasing chorus. The ready-for-video "Human" is a frantic commentary on modern life that conjures the band's Los Angeles home base, while, harking back to U2, the anthemic "Touch the Horizon" closes the album on a crescendo of hope.

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