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The Still City’s emo-inflected rock has taken a giant leap forward. On Light and the Machines, Ryan Murphy’s synth lines are front and center next to Brendan Gann’s percussive bass lines, adding a slight new-wave edge to the songs, while Brandon Roth’s supernaturally kinetic drumming roughens the edges and keeps the songs hurtling forward. Even Brian Knab’s vocals seem stronger, more emotive and confident than before, giving tracks like “Sleepwalkers for Life” and the Cure-like “A Bedroom and a Parking Spot” a raw sincerity and power. When the instrumental layers are stripped away on the acoustic version of “I Believe in Mathematics,” which closes the EP, the group’s gift for sing-along melodies and memorable songwriting shines through like a winter sun breaking through gloomy clouds.
