Rialto
"Monday Morning, 5:19"
East West Records, 1997
b/w "Little Comedian" and "Kieslowski"

Rialto, the band formed by former Kinky Machine frontman Louis Elliot and guitarist Jonny Bull, and named after a bankrupt theater chain, have released their third single, "Monday Morning, 5:19" on East West Records. The song is a chilling pop tale about a man phoning his girlfriend, who had told him she was planning to stay in, through the night and getting only her answering machine. Backed by dramatic keyboards and a great guitar hook, Elliot croons, " It's Monday morning 5:19 and I'm still wondering where she's been, cause everytime I try to call I just get her machine. And now it's almost 6am and I don't want to try again, cause if she's still not back, well heaven knows what then? Is this the end?" evoking images of late night paranoia, and some heartfelt sympathy for the narrator. Rialto have managed to create a catchy soundscape of perfect pop tunes, easily hummable that make it far too easy to completely miss the cynical and bitter undertones running through their subject matter. The second track, "Little Comedian," begins with a nice soft guitar line and musically sounds sweet enough to play for your mother on her birthday - that is until Elliot hits you with the opening few lines:"Here comes the star of this show, but he's got piss down his clothes...Ladies and gentlemen let's have you warmest welcome for the world's biggest little cunt." The end result again evokes sympathy for the subject of the song, a man desperate for attention who constantly makes a complete arse of himself. Rialto seem to be well on their way to developing their own unique niche in the pop community with their sympathetic cynicism and Spector-esque songwriting sense. If their first album, slated for a March release, doesn't make them mega -stars, it should certainly make them cult heroes, for rarely has the music world seen such biting humor combined with a sense of empathy. I must say the emergence of Rialto has been long overdue.



 

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