Austin’s PEOPLEFOOD boasts a neat sound on its debut EP. There’s certainly a vibe borrowed from song-oriented jam bands like DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, with sharp musicianship, imaginative arrangements and a busy, evolving groove. (Leader BYRNE ROCK is a vocal near-dead ringer for Matthews as well.) But extended solos are not this bunch’s raison d’etre – the quartet is far more interested in good songs than technique. Tunes like “Losing Sleep,” “How Do You See Yourself?” and the title track move in ambitious circles, creating art from a standpoint of earnest creativity, rather than pretentious overachievement. Some of the melodies grow indistinct over time, but that’s a bump in the road that will be smoothed over as the group grows. There’s more than enough promise on The Status Foe EP to make Peoplefood a band worth keeping an eye on.
