Philadelphia’s Spinning Lucy got me hooked with the dramatic melody of the opener “Star Sign” and it shows the debut of a tight rock band with great talent. Vocalist Will Roberts leads the band from track to track without sounding cliche or having the tracks wallow in self pity. The bands sound is comparable to the Gin Blossoms meet The Rembrandts with a touch of Jimmy Eat World. The songs are all well performed with a matter-of-fact upbeat approach despite the dark subject matter. It took a few listens to see the themes of death and regret in songs like “Digging Up Bones” and “Hello.” The serious lyrics and wonderfully crisp hooks make “Lions” a real winner here. The band’s take on love to loss and back again in “Crowning” and “Ghost In You” puts them a step above most catchy rock bands. The latter songs lyrics speak of acceptance with lines like, “If you forgive the monsters in me/then I’ll forgive the ghosts in you.” The adventurous story in “Goldilocks” doesn’t seem to keep pace with the melody, although the guitar break is really nice here. The arrangements are a little too even handed in places without giving the listener a hook to hang to on “Letting You Down” and the faux orchestral “Flavor Of The Weak” can get a bit pretentious, but the hidden instrumental track at the end is a nice finish. With a little more concentration on hooks, this band should continue to prosper. Keep your eyes on these guys, as they could break out big time with this album.