Stream City's Hello Gravity demo EP starts with the drizzling of rainfall and a mournful string section for an intro opener. Then it quickly transitions into "The Magician", which suddenly flips the switch to the punk flavors of third-wave ska, like a way, way less interesting version of the Flatliners. There's an inflection in the Danish singer's voice that makes the band sound very much like their modern European punk counterparts, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Then the strings come back, and at times it almost gives it a Yellowcard feel. Sorry, guys.

Still, it's really hard to make much sense of it, despite the band's energetic and rigid command of things. There aren't really any hooks here, though, and something seems to stifle the potential dynamism (the track's a little long, too). The following songs are at times more straightforward and other times strangely belligerent–there's raspy, upbeat screaming vocals in "My Only Friend" and "Incompetent Doctor", but there's also got a Celtic punk feel to the former at certain points. "Last Plague" is clearer-headed, but it's got a same-ol', fast skatepunk mode for much of it that's just eh, and the pop of the tom drum near the end is just way too distracting.

This EP is just a little bit confusing in many regards, and when it makes more sense, it's just kind of boring or generic. I don't want to cast aside Stream City's demo as completely bad junk, but it's an iffy start.

STREAM
The Magician
Cap Confusion
My Only Friend
Incompetent Doctor
Last Plague