CAR PARTY
Patterns
[Unsigned]
Verdict: 7.5/10
RIYL: The Fold, Number One Gun, Acceptance

If you have been with LMP for a while, you might have seen our review of Car Party’s previous EP, High & Low Places. That was released just fourteen months ago, and even back then the band showed us signs of great life. Car Party’s sound is very familiar, embracing the huge sound of poppy alt rock’s past and present. In fact, if the band had been out ten years prior, Car Party might be a household name already. As it stands, Car Party deserves to be as big as the EP sounds. Each of these five songs feature massive hooks that have yet to leave my cranium in the time I’ve had the album. “Dollar Sign” is an obvious highlight, as the song is absolutely on the money for the genre. There are driving guitars in a midtempo rock setting, but again, the star of the show is Michael Natzke’s vocals. His tenor is perfect for this sound: melodic, not whiny, and full of power. The downside of every song on the album being pitch-perfect to the standard pop-rock sound is that there is little deviation from the norm. You have definitely heard this all before. However, when something familiar is done with aplomb, the results are usually successful. I stated in my previous review that Car Party deserves to be huge, and with another EP under its belt, I stand behind that statement. I cannot say that the band is the best pop rock band around, but it should be mentioned along with those groups. – by Nicholas Senior

>> Classification: Nostalgic Pop Rock
>> Recommended Tracks: “Dollar Sign” and “Hopeless”
>> In Conclusion: For those that wished more bands sounded like Acceptance or The Fold, welcome to your favorite new band. Jump into the car before this band gets big.