by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

 

Rialto's self-titled debut falls halfway between the brash melodicism of Brit-pop and the stately, symphonic chamber-pop of such artists as Eric Matthews and the Divine Comedy. It's a heady mixture, to be sure, and there are times when the entire enterprise collapses on the weight of its own ambitions. Still, there's something to be said for a debut that harbors such ambitions, and when everything does come together, Rialto's sense of style and song is enthralling, and that's what makes this such a promising debut.