by Jason

Future Theory is a collection of four college friends with various musical influences. The band is made up of Max Sander (rhythm guitar/vox), Chris Moore (lead guitar), Jake Scarbro (bass guitar), and Rohan Parrett (drums). They hail from Lincoln, UK and draw on several influences ranging from The Brian Jonestown Massacre to Pink Floyd. There is a sort of melding of influences here that comes out the back end on the right end of the equation, with a slick alt-rock feel that isn’t derivative. Sander brings a tonal swagger to the group, reminiscent of Chris Cornell but there are elements in here that have ambient and dreamy tones.

“Eye of the Storm” begins with sparkling guitars, twinkling in the speakers that eventually are joined by driving drums and bass. I will say up front that Scarbro’s bass work on this EP is perfect both in tones and phrase choices. The guitars are jangly and loose, giving it a bit of a dream-pop touch. Sander really brings the sound of the band together with his almost grungy, brit-pop vocal style. “Fool’s Dream” starts with acoustic guitar and Sander being his most grunge on the disc. Drums and bass are subtle while guitars enter the mix and have a bright tonality to them. They wear their influences on their sleeve here and the Soundgarden influence really comes out on this track. Although this is the case, ambient guitars still float among the song’s cracks and crevices.

“Horses” begins with wah’d out guitar lines and Sander, again, brings the consistent swagger. Parrett‘s drum mix is incredibly well done and his percussion work extremely solid. Again, Scarbro brings some wonderful bass work to the table here with some great phrasing choices. At the bridge, the loud distorted guitars thump into the speakers while Moore produces a powerful solo. “Listen Closely” has a bit of an offbeat tempo, with high-hat playing a prominent role in the percussion. The guitar is energetic and Moore and Sander’s guitars play off one another in a wonderful back and forth. There is a floaty, ambience to the guitar work here as well. The final track on the EP is a remix of “Horses”. “Horses – Koncide Remix” takes the ambient structures in the song and really stretches them out while adding thumping electronic dance music to the mix. The vocals are sparse and echo in the speakers.

Future Theory has come out of the gate showcasing a debut EP that has four strong tracks. Fool’s Dream is worth checking out and is a great tease for what I hope is a forthcoming full-length.