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The Rice Thresher
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Mariel Tam Maybe you're one of those confused Radiohead followers who doesn't know where to turn now that your band has fallen into the electronic abyss. Instead, you could embrace Paloalto's work of sonic plagiarism. The name of the Los Angeles-based quintet is not to be confused with Palo Alto, the Silicon Valley "city of the future" that is the subject of a Radiohead B-side. Paloalto's self-titled debut appropriates Bends-era Radiohead's whisper-to-a-roar sound and Thom Yorke's falsetto, adding nothing new to the mix except lyrics that are trite pap. For instance, "Home" layers some interesting-sounding percussion and a decent melody with sappy synth work and James Grundler's copycat vocals. Radiohead would never be caught dead with these lyrics, nor would any rock band striving for any kind of credibility: "I hope I can make this place a home inside/I know I can make it up to you if I tried." Another track, "Monolith," mimics Radiohead's acoustic guitar chords while its lull of an intro halfway steals its melody from "Everybody Knows" by another British band, James. The track then soars, predictably, to a roar with pumped-up drums and lyrics that seem to give a nod to Grundler's inspiration: "What's that you say/I'm a man with a fool's voice." To be sure, Paloalto has some catchy melodies, like the riffs in "Too Many Questions." Maybe once the band stops wearing its heart on its sleeve and loses the major label looking to score a modern rock alternative hit, Paloalto could work on developing its own pop sound instead of imitating its heroes. Until then, Paloalto's unoriginal delivery will keep the band in the ranks of sound-alikes that fall by the wayside into the cut-out bin. - Mariel Tam
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