Currents EP

If you feel that too many records of recent have lacked hooks, it's because Chicago's Treaty Of Paris stole them all. Packed from start to finish with glorious melodies, the six tracks that comprise Currents grab you immediately, and it's the kind of record that makes you want to dive for the "repeat" button almost as soon as it's run its course. Elements of Jimmy Eat World, Redd Kross, the Beach Boys, the Wallflowers, and Swell haunt the record but without ever dominating to the extent that you forget who you're listening to, and each track is notably different from the last. The gritty fuzz of "The Aftermath" kicks things off and gets the adrenaline going before the summery '60s pop of "Soft And Slow" arrives, both songs drenched in the gorgeous vocal harmonies. "Colleen" is as jaunty as it gets, a stomping ditty that will surely enliven endless frat parties, while "Forget Me" and "Stubborn And Lonely Forever" surge from the speakers on driving rhythms before exploding into choruses that strike the balance between melancholy and anthemic just right. They round things out with the shimmering title track, which is perfectly positioned in that it's almost impossible to listen to without imagining end credits rolling, conveying a strong feeling of an ending imbued with hope for whatever follows. The whole thing is extremely radio-friendly without ever giving the sense that they are somehow pandering, and the fact that it was written, recorded, and released by the band with no assistance from a label serves to bolster the feeling that this is a true labor of love.

Self- Released http://www.treatyofparismusic.com