Alias:Orion, While the City Burned (SixtyThirteen)

Indie arena rock? Well, why not? The five tunes on these locals’ debut EP swell to stadium size, yet could conceivably speak to an entire generation of post-emo, post-radio, post-everything millennials ready to demolish the old barriers keeping guitar/keyboard rock stagnant. These tunes sound like they were weaned on the energy and suburban ennui of pop-punk and then fed into the industry-less free-fall of 21st Century America. They therefore utilize big, showy, classic rock moves in order to better dredge up the loathing—mostly romantic, of course—not exactly well-hidden in conversational lyrics like “I hope this message reaches you well and leaves you crippled / I hope it kills you / I hope you choke on it.” It’s finally okay to feel good about the future of local pop-rock nrrrddom.