Pretension and melodrama have been key ingredients of British pop for years, but while many bands have sported the right pout, listened to the right soundtracks, and written the right kind of populist lyrics, their music has been sorely lacking. Enter Rialto, whose lush self-titled debut threatens to reverse the trend. The record impacts with the drama of Pulp and the melodic thrust of Oasis. Strings glide, harpsichords twinkle, and guitars cut lonely, aching swaths across the band's sonic vistas. Even when the vocals croon about unfaithful women and missed opportunities, Rialto's songs are never too precious or self-important to forsake the kind of hooks that keep listeners hitting the rewind button. --Jon Wiederhorn
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