Our Neighborhood Records thought Street Smart Cyclist's demo was good enough to press onto vinyl and I can't say I disagree. These songs are only the first three Street Smart Cyclist have put to tape (I'm fairly sure), and with a potent, totally impressive blend of Braid and caP'n Jazz on tap, it's about time for webzines everywhere to collectively shit their pants.

"Hoods Up!" starts this 7" off in splendid fashion, with that familiar style of guitar interplay and a heavy jangle of chords once the song really gets going. However, the true highlight of this one is really when the handclaps and group vocals kick in -- the chant-along of "when I would talk talk talk you were always there to listen / to everything I had to explain, which would mean nothing at all" is a surefire to get a crowd, or a listener, going. The tradeoff of "at all!" between two vocalists in the band, by the way, is hilariously derivative of Braid, but we can definitely let that slide. Wrapping up the pleasingly royal blue record is "Pastor of Muppets" and "The Three Lane Cut," which are hardly without their moments.

Street Smart Cyclist had me from the outset but it took a couple listens to really sink in. In that sense, it's basically drowning (this metaphor is still positive, I swear), and the only thing that's likely to rescue it is a full-length.

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Street Smart Cyclist