Rainbow City Park is the hidden gem I’ve been searching for. Their recent release, an EP called Fruitless, is truly a treat to listen to.
The title track opens the door into this world, with catchy and colorful guitar riffs, and a fun and spiritually-moving vocal melody.
Throughout this entire project, there are guitar parts that scratch an itch in my brain I didn’t know was there. Fruitless is, in my opinion, filled with songs about trusting yourself and your intuition enough to not care what other people think, and realizing you have to be enough for YOURSELF first (and only).
Some lyrics that really stood out to me were those in a track titled Chalk, “Twenty-three months of flattery/With moments that could fill galleries/Imagine none of that mattering”. How heart-wrenching it is that someone could break off an almost two-year relationship without so much as a nod to the spectacular, life-changing times you shared. You’ve put a frame around these moments and it’s as though they purposefully shattered your reality.
The vocals throughout Fruitless remind me somewhat of classic Avril Lavigne or Hayley Williams in the absolute BEST way. Some may not agree, but such clear and inviting vocals paired with guitar sludge, makes this project teeter (in my opinion) on grunge rock.
The last track opens with such an interesting instrumental bit that I wish I could download into my bloodstream directly, to be played and felt at whim. And the drums featured in most tracks on this EP made me subconsciously start to head-bang, overwhelming me with the urge to go see a live show immediately.
Rainbow City Park is now permanently living in my playlists, with a copy of their CD on the way as we speak. I can’t wait to see what they do next and will take the next few days diving into their entire discography, so please do not disturb.
One final thing that crossed my mind after a full listen: “These endeavors are NOT fruitless, and even if they are, we had fun didn’t we?”
Written by Newt Fangs
