Fivespeed - Bella

I'm absolutely stumped as to how Fivespeed landed a deal with Equal Vision Records. Given, these four songs have "radio airplay" written all over them, but in my experience, Equal Vision has always catered to a more alternative culture, having helped push acts such as Bane and Give Up the Ghost to tremendous heights in the hardcore scene. Saves the Day released their first two records on the label, and yes, even Coheed & Cambria started their already illustrious career alongside the rest of these guys. Keeping that last fact in mind, maybe the label has had their taste of mainstream success, and sees Fivespeed as a viable chance at a second. I won't necessarily say that the band is bad, just overly predictable, and they certainly don't cater to the audience which this label has established over the years. Diversity isn't a bad thing, though, but in this instance it's just confusing and unexpected. The Phoenix-based quintet isn't too far apart in style from acts such as Blindside and Breaking Benjamin--groups that maintain a hard rock sound but aren't heavy and are too polished to be termed "aggressive" in any fashion. Turn your radio to any so-called modern rock station, and chances are you'll hear something comparable in just a few, painful minutes. And sadly, again, chances are you'll be hearing Fivespeed on the radio in the coming months. However, the Bella EP has one positive attribute, and that’s brevity. [www.fivespeedmusic.com]