Reviews

There are three kinds of debut albums: ones where bands have perfected their vision for their band at the outset(examples: Weezer, Pixies, Dead Kennedys), debuts that show tons of potential but are rather hit and miss(The Replacements, Husker Du, At the Drive In and on and on) and those that are just complete messes and serve as proof the band will never get anywhere.  She Could Be King's debut album, Petrograd, falls in the potential category.
 
There a few generally interesting moments and a couple of areas that need to be addressed in their follow up. At times the keyboard lines really work for them like in the beginning of 'Love Is A Mexican Standoff" and "Nathan Nathan Nathan Detroit" but at other times during the song it is either played so light or kind of off key that it distracts from the driving rhythm they are going for. When the keyboard works along side of the rest of the band that is where you find this EP's greatest results. But as you give it a couple of questions the rest of the songs on Petrograd can come off as very samey. Definitely a record that you put on and just end up completely ignoring and go "oh wow its over already". When the band does try to change things up, like they do on the last track 'Rest in peace all dinosaurs", the song ends up sounding like a last minute experiment because it sounds opposite to every other track on this EP. It is not driving pop-punk but merely an experimental guitar lick that the band liked and they decided to build a song around it.
 
She Could Be King sounds alot like influential band Braid only with a keyboard but are less interested in creating memorable riffs. They are capable of creating good pop-rock songs with a couple of interesting ideas but at the end of the day, it really doesn't come to much. The band has some fine ideas  but like I said they have a couple of problems to address before they can amount to much. They have one or two really good singles here but other than that there is really nothing much to speak of.  Right now they fall under the category of only being a good opening band. Of course  you notice that they are playing some interesting music but it only serves as a distraction till something better comes on.