The Maryland-based band Sister City is already reaching out to appeal to fans through the free download of their first release, Foma. This band is fairly new to the music industry, and boasts of influences such as Kevin Devine, Brand New, and Bright Eyes. Throught this album, Sister City does its best to incorporate small bits and pieces of each of the above’s overall sound.

The indie-rock that kicks off the album in “Seat 13A” does at first remind one of Bright Eyes, with its abundant acoustic guitar (of course with its overabundance of finger-picking) and somewhat calm, dry rhythms. However the voice of Adam Linder- lead singer of Sister City- is in almost no way comprable to that of Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst. But truly, in all fairness, whose is? Linder, though nasal, does bring about comparisons with Jesse Lacey of Brand New, perhaps when in a performance of “Soco Amaretto Lime.”

All of the five songs are very catchy and easily enjoyable to most listeners of most genres. But let’s face it, you can’t please everyone. But though there are only five tracks, they all feel highly similar in tune and beat, all with stark guitar, drums, and dry vocals dotting each song. Perhaps that may be too critical, but it is much too easy to begin humming one song then unknowingly transition into another then another.

“Happy Anniversary” is truly the only standout on the album with its more varying melody and small a capella sections. This song is easily the closest to a Bright Eyes creation, though as aforementioned, the vocals are not as hazily distinct. The rest of this album’s songs border on indie-pop, a less interesting and a less experimental genre to listen to.

Foma is an album worth the free download, but perhaps not a special place in your heart.