Local Indie rockers The Koala Fires have the honor of having the first Cincinnati-spawned release of the new year/decade and, therefore, it’s the best local release of the year/decade so far! In all seriousness, The Beeping in Our Hearts is a strong effort that certainly has the potential to be on future “best of” lists. The band does the “release party” thing Saturday at the Southgate House in Newport with guests The Guitars, The Harlequins and Indy’s Amo Joy.
Those who have been following the Fires since they began know of their high-octane live shows and modern spin on classic Indie/AltRock from the past two decades. But The Beeping in Our Hearts shows major progression and maturity from the band and their songwriting prowess is noticeably stronger. The band sounds a bit like early Weezer with the Pop meter turned to 11, but the Fires’ brand of Pop is broader and much less “pose-y” and paint-by-numbers (though no less ear-grabbing). The fiery guitar interplay (think Sunny Day Real Estate or Built to Spill) and song dynamics are captivating, while the vocals delivering those fantastic melodies are emotionally charged without falling into the whiny-Emo trap.
This article appears in Dec 23-29, 2009.
