A Thousand Friday Nights

Legends of Rodeo might be from the same scene that spawned Further Seems Forever, Dashboard Confessional, and A New Found Glory, but this four-piece has thankfully found their own path to success instead of treading on the heels of their Florida counterparts. Taking those emo roots and the lessons learned under their former moniker, the Recess Theory, Legends of Rodeo is more along the lines of Chamberlain, Mellencamp, and Springsteen than anything emo. Lead singer John Ralston has a unique voice, somewhere between the aforementioned roots rockers and that annoying emo whine. Getting used to it is somewhat of an acquired taste. With some nice backup vocals, organ, harmonic, and more, the band has made a slick 12-song release for people who are somewhat tired of all the saturation of emo in the market. The songs on here tell great stories, simplistic in approach, but fun nonetheless, with many memorable choruses. These tunes were made for summer months of memories and long drives and no doubt were crafted over some of the same. Although the Recess Theory seemed to lack momentum and originality, whatever alterations the band made along with the name change were the right ones.