Rainbow City Park just released their debut EP titled “Fruitless.” Let’s break it down one by one and read why “Fruitless” is nostalgic and innovative.
The EP starts with their carrier single, “Fruitless.” The guitar lick in the intro gives off Paramore vibes. The distorted vocal effect in the chorus is perfect for that edgy chord progression. The bass lick in the bridge is refreshing to hear in an indie-rock progression.
It’s not something you’d expect, but given that there’s room to breathe, I believe it’s only fitting to add that. The bass solo perfectly builds up to that headbanging instrumental connecting to the last chorus.
After the high adrenaline “Fruitless,” Rainbow City Park presents the standalone pop song of the EP, “Chalk.” The band doesn’t waste time with the track and starts the first verse at the 5-second mark. The intro piques my interest because of the guitar and bass harmony.
The short math rock lick in the refrain that connects to the chorus is unexpected but satisfying. The chord progression in the chorus gives us math rock vibes. I’m sure a lot of math rock fans would appreciate that hook.
What I like about “Provincial” is that the overall sound and feel of the song are different from the prior tracks, giving us a new side of Rainbow City Park. To be honest, this track closely resembles that 2007 Paramore sound and of course, the palm mute!
The melodic guitar riff in the chorus is just perfect for that indie rock progression. I feel like without it, an opportunity would be wasted. The second verse progression, drum pattern, and melodic guitar riff are just nostalgic—it’s the mid to late 2010 sound. The bridge creates a dreamy feel to the track because of the change in tempo and the reverberated vocals.
The halftime feel in the last few minutes of the track seems unnecessary. It’s a common technique that many arrangers and songwriters use to create emphasis, but I feel that without it, it’s missing a critical piece for the overall completion of the track. What makes it different is that Rainbow City Park doesn’t just end there. They pick it up again and have fun with it.
“Foresight” is the most indie-sounding song on the EP. The track starts with a steady drum pattern alongside an open-sounding chord progression with a hint of distortion in the vocals. By the 4th track, you can already hear Rainbow City Park’s musical prowess.
Yes, it has an underlying sound influence, but the way they create the progression and arrangement on each track differs. You can tell that they carefully curated each track to not sound the same. I have to give props to the last few minutes of the track; the pattern change is just simply good.
The EP closes with “Water Under The Bridge,” a ballad. It offers yet another different vibe than the previous tracks.
The “Fruitless” EP is a nostalgic-driven experience perfect for that trip down memory lane due to the sound progression and tropes.
What I like about this EP is that even if some song progressions are anticipated, Rainbow City Park continues to add more to give a unique character to the tracks. It’s not the most original take, but it sure is the most interesting.
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About the Author
He has been in the music industry for two and a half decades. Currently, he plays bass guitar for a rock-reggae band called EnjointPh and a funk-fusion trio called Banky. He also hosts a podcast titled Usapang Musiko with Ervin Besana, which explores topics such as music, arts, and philosophy.
