When I first saw the cover art for Cinematic Sunrise?s EP album A Coloring Storybook and Long-Playing Record, I thought, ?Dear mother, this has got to be some creepy too-happy emo band.? The art features a vibrant landscape full of brightly colored animals (including a panda bear and a hippopotamus!) with a rainbow ending its arc on a piano.
Such a cheerful work piqued my interest enough to press the play button for the first song ?Pulling a Piano From a Pond.?
What I heard greatly surprised me: first came a flowing piano intro followed closely by the pulse of a drum and the powerful riff of an electric guitar. A melodic voice that matched the pop feel of the song began to sing about heartache, and I was hooked.
Hailing from Michigan, Cinematic Sunrise was formed by Craig Owens, the lead singer of post-hardcore band Chiodos. The side project includes four other talented musicians, including the pianist of Chiodos. The EP was first released in May and then re-released this October with two new songs.
The high metallic voice of Owens defines the majority of CinSun’s sound. On Chiodos, the borderline ridiculous piercing cries of Owens make the listener cringe and wonder how such a sound is humanly possible. For some reason, though, CinSun features much more tolerable and even soothing vocals. ?The Wordless? is the only track where Owens pushes the envelope with his climbing falsetto.
Although I enjoy listening to each beautifully composed song on the record, the lack of true uniqueness in many of the songs makes Storybook’s playlist less than stellar. Exceptions are heard in the two newly recorded songs ?If Lilly isn’t Back By Sunset? and ?Crossing Our Fingers for the Summer.?
?You make me, you make me glow/Watch the way that I light up around you,? Owens sings of his girlfriend. Although only a clip of the song was available, I felt the “glow” emanating from Owens. ?Crossing Our Fingers? starts out with an upbeat guitar riff and evokes a dance-in-the-green-meadow feel. The instruments build up to a carefree chorus with deft, spirited guitar riffs.
Owens writes his lyrics honestly with intense imagery and even onomatopoeia.
?To the weepy windowpanes, that are dripping with dew/I can hear the rain outside, falling from the sky/and you can hear the…/Pitter patter on the rooftop/You can listen to the rhythm of the raindrops/I wish that the sun would come and stay/but this is a song for rainy days,? Owens sings in ?Umbrellas and Elephants.? The drippy guitar riffs and incorporation of plucked strings further produces the sound of rain.
A very notable element in CinSun’s sound is the drum work. Unlike many other bands where the drums are overlooked because of either weak recording, poor kit work, or overpowering instrumentals, each track in Storybook features clear, skillful drum beats.
Despite the lack of originality, the well-written instrumentals and lyrics show CinSun’s great potential as a band; even more so with Owens dropping his trademark whinyness. Anyone who desires a break from the darkness of the emo industry and enjoys dancing in the rain will want to purchase this album.
