Living in Charleston can become a mundane and repetitive experience. Firesky Future’s first studio release “Local Tragedy” seems to follow along these same lines.

Firesky Future is a band that is based out of Charleston and consists of drummer Travis Cooper, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Sean Kelly, bassist and vocalist Andy Long and lead guitarist Cyrus Bardsley. Many of the songs on “Local Tragedy” songs are written from the experiences the members have been through growing up in a nearly average small-town USA.

The album follows a format of early pop-punk records from bands like Blink-182 and New Found Glory with simple power chord structures, steady and repetitive drumming and teen angst driven vocals.

For a debut album, it is assumed listeners won’t hear growth in the music, but with this being said, the album lacks depth and sophistication.

It seems Firesky Future knows its intended audience and all the band is doing is recreating a decaying genre of music.

A perfect example of this is the Reel Big Fish’s “Sell Out” styled simplistic yet delightfully sarcastic song “Another Punk Song.” Firesky Future slaps the critics, including myself, in the face with a song that includes many punk song attributes such as cursing for the sake of cursing, steady building intro into a simple guitar rhythm and a slow breakdown that repeats the chorus that states, “it’s just another punk song, and I won’t sing along.”

One highlight is the guitar solo in the song titled “Home.” After listening to many songs that feature nearly the same tempo and the same toned lyrics it was a much-needed break.

Firesky Future should play off Bardsley and use a talented guitarist for varied styles of songs with solos intertwined. It not only gives the listener a break, but it gives the guitarist a break and lets them showcase their talent as musicians.

Brad York can be reached at 581-7942 or bayork@eiu.edu.