Matchsticks is the third EP and most recent release from South Australian boys City Riots. Since their formation in 2006, City Riots have toured with the likes of The Smashing Pumpkins, The Academy Is... and are about to embark on an East Coast tour with Gyroscope just in time for the release of Matchsticks.

Recorded in both Chicago and Melbourne respectively with producers Bjorn Thorsrud (The Smashing Pumpkins) and Woody Annison (Children Collide), this is the sound of a band with a pop sensibility, a strong sense of melody and an undeniable knack for penning a catchy tune.

Opening track ‘Matchsticks’ has you instantly hooked - drums and handclaps welcome the main guitar riff (great guitar sound too; an excellent balance of the clean tone and reverb-goodness) while ‘Nerve (My Party)’ and ‘In My Head’ are straight-up indie rockers with hooky vocals and memorable guitar riffs. Closer ‘Out of Time’ is drenched in dreamy synth textures; quite a contrast to the rest of the EP. I feel they pull off this sound particularly well (Ricky’s voice glides almost effortlessly throughout) and is the highlight of the release.

According to the band, the EP is a small taste of what is to come when they release their debut full-length some time in the near future. There are a number of different sounds explored on this release and it will be quite interesting to see which direction City Riots decide to take when writing/recording their album.

An enjoyable release that would be best enjoyed on warm, sunny day in a live setting.

Review Score: 7/10