RATING: 4/5

Grayslake, Ill. isn’t really a beacon of rock ‘n’ roll, so it was quite pleasant to hear Lybria’s EP Cycles was recorded by one of Lake County’s finest.

I tend to gravitate towards abrasive punk or eclectic weirdness, but I found myself pleased by Cycles.

Make no mistake, these songs are not the most original songs in the world, but Lybria knows what they are trying to do as a band, and they succeed at doing it.

The music itself sounds like Minus the Bear without the heavy keyboards, or even late-era Thrice.

There is a breakdown at the end of “So Far From Lonely” that makes this EP worth listening to on its own.

However, that isn’t to say that the other songs don’t have redeeming qualities.

The vocals are far less polished than the music would lead you to expect, but the raspiness is a pleasant addition to the group’s dynamic.

The guitar work is very impressive, as Lybria builds a “wall of sound” in songs like “Johnny.” Small guitar leads sneak out under the wall of distortion, and eventually the listener comes to appreciate the small parts of the recording.

The album was recorded quite well; my only qualm is that the bass seems like it was mixed out of the recording.

There are times when it was hard to even tell if a bassline was present. Other than that, it was all good.

The levels are all pretty good, the guitars are mixed almost perfectly, and the drums are solid and not overbearing.

Cycles isn’t going to change anyone’s life, or truly blow anyone’s mind, but it’s still quite the accomplishment from a band that I look forward to seeing play live. I expect to actually listen to it during my free time, which is one of the better compliments I can give.

Bands usually don’t sound this evolved anymore, but Lybria sounds like they have been playing together for a decade. Fans of most rock music should check this out.

As previously mentioned, it isn’t mind blowing, but it still stands out, and when it comes to local music, that’s more than anyone could ask for.