Roanoke

"Plot Synopsis" by Roanoke, from Roanoke EP:

Ask any band to categorize itself, and the members will balk, blissfully unaware that they're actually straight-up metal or stereotypically emo. Roanoke sums itself up on MySpace as "Kansas-bred quasi-core." This time, the vagueness fits. A new, self-titled EP from the Kansas City quintet contains traces of hardcore, metal, emo and indie rock but a preponderance of none. Dramatic guitars and singer Caleb Goellner's constant reach for those high notes bring to mind early Coheed and Cambria or Lovedrug. The one thing Roanoke isn't: pop. And in an apparent effort to prove that, the band mostly rejects the verse-chorus-verse formula, opting instead for jarring tempo shifts and an overall unpretty sound. But it's not entirely hook-free. Especially catchy is the refrain on "Plot Synopsis." You know me like the back of your hand, Goellner whines bitterly. Gang vocals pepper the collection, in brutish contrast to Goellner's unsteady falsetto. His lilting voice falls flat a lot and grates, but sometimes that just adds to the deliberate chaos. Roanoke will be for sale when the band plays at the Grand Emporium on Monday, July 30.