First impressions are important. Scientists estimate that, upon meeting someone new, most of us have already formed a judgment about them after a mere seven seconds in their presence. These initial biases can be overcome with time, but it is a difficult endeavor. In the realm of music, all too often a band will release a premature first album, and subsequently never be taken seriously again, unless their later work succeeds on an entirely unexpected level – even writing a decent album won’t be enough after this point. Unfortunately, I fear that this is the case with Driving on City Sidewalks, a two-piece post-indie outfit from Ontario who have quite recently released their debut EP, Where Angels Crowd to Listen, into a very harsh world.

In all honesty, it’s quite difficult to find something that EP does right. The first track, “To Finish the Race,” is aptly named, I suppose, because it has the same structure as an epic Sigur Rós song, except without the first half – and the talent. The singer comes in after nearly a minute, and one wonders where he found the inspiration to sing in a manner so utterly devoid of life. The guitars are boring, the drums are spastic, and at every single moment, you'll know precisely what’s coming next.