The Revivalists- City of Sound: 4 / 5

City of Sound is a pretty fitting title for this release by New Orleans-based rock band The Revivalists. Each track has a sound pulling from all different genres, including jazz, ska, funk, blues, and country. This wide range of influences makes for an authentic, classic sounding rock album that reflects the whimsically playful nature of their hometown. Full of soulful southern charm and sprinkled with funky undertones, every song on City of Sound puts forth a different yet oddly familiar sound. With the conventional rock instruments, the band has a horn section that blows through staccato horn breaks and solos. Either with a jazz feel or a ska vibe, it could go either way. “When I Die” features a beachy-sound, as does “Navigate Below”, which contains flamenco guitar strumming and a Caribbean-style drum beat. Tracks like “BTBD” and “Criminal” features large and loud Imagine Dragon-esque choruses complete with John Frusciante type guitar solos. Groovy strumming patterns add to the buoyancy of the album that weaves it’s way through genres. City of Sound sound like a mixture of the Dave Matthews Band and Streetlight Manifesto, with a dash of Kings of Leon soul, combining to make a laid-back rock album for summer days. With such a unique sound, The Revivalists set out to destroy the traditional sound of indie-rock bands with their killer City of Sound.  Key Tracks: When I Die, Navigate Below, Criminal, BTBD RIYL: Dave Matthews Band, Streetlight Manifesto