Copeland

Well this is interesting. From out of nowhere arrives In Motion, the second album from Lakeland, Florida's Copeland. Somehow, unlike so many Central Florida acts, this upstart four-piece actually cobbles together influences that range beyond last year's MTV pap. Over the course of In Motion's ten tracks, the band moves from antique Beatle-esque pop harmonies to fuzzy, lo-fi breakdowns to radio-bright melodic rock. That stylistic breadth sets it apart -- as does the fact that the songwriting remains smart and sophisticated even as it dips into that dangerous yet lucrative mass appeal sound. Copeland is passing through South Florida on a huge national tour and gaining momentum in the press, which almost guarantees that its next show here will be somewhere much less intimate. Take advantage while you can.