Kevin Bronson on November 2nd, 2012

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You couldn’t blame Ryan Daly and Anthony Improgo for feeling as if they’ve driven in a big circle the past few years. The principals behind Parade of Lights first collaborated in the band Polus oh-so-many years ago (actually, 2006, which now seems like a distant time). Parade of Lights released an EP in 2009, although by that time Improgo had departed to play drums for Metro Station. Gigs as touring musicians kept the pair apart until two years ago, when they got together to make their new “Born to Live, Born to Love” EP. It’s more like the pair’s early shoegazing in Polus than POL’s poppier 2009 EP, but it’s no less suited for rock radio. Monster hooks, adrenaline-pumping synths and scratchy textures – Parade of Lights have the formula down, and these arena-ready new songs transcend the usual radio fare. We certainly wouldn’t change the dial on “Just Give It Up.”

||| Download: “Just Give It Up”

||| Live: Parade of Lights play Nov. 12 at the Bootleg Bar as part of In the Valley Below’s residency.

||| Also: After the jump, stream the whole EP:

Photo by Chris James