The Sunpilots came to prominence by round-about means. Brisbane-born vocalist Raj Siva-Rajah, son of a classical Sri Lankan singer, began Carnatic training at age 8 (a two and a half thousand year old classical Indian/Sri Lankan form of singing). Raj’s move to Sydney led him to guitarist Bob Spencer and the birth of The Sunpilots. Prior to their first national tour, Robert Ewan signed up on bass and drummer Grant Gerathy joined in early ‘08.

Debut single Spotlight in the Sun’s amped-up melancholy searches for meaning and leave listeners the same task. The arcane lyrics defy deciphering. The chorus builds well however, and this is a recurring theme in Living Receiver: good choruses wedged between filler.

The inelegantly titled A Series of Drones Marching In Unison Towards An Imperceptible Goal warns us, “Teachers to make us fit their mould/Police to keep the status quo/The media conformity: a wolf amongst the mindless sheep/They’re singing na na, na na na na na.” Ironically a very generic warning against conforming: no passion, no belief in the message, no Rage Against The Machine.

Second single, You’re Gonna Be a Star, looks cynically at platinum-blonde, leather-skinned, fame-for-fame’s-sake style. Breaking the album’s trend, its lyrics betray a talent for irreverence. Living Receiver never comes together holistically. However, on Faking This and Helter Skelter Day, the pseudo-defiance of a great pop chorus emerges. With the ascendance of Creed and the eminence of Matchbox Twenty in full flight, few alt-rock bands can sonically approach a Sunpilots chorus.

Departing from the Creed-esque formula, Ne Risque Rien incorporates sailing violins, viola and cello for an orchestral success. Obviously a non-effort for Raj’s voice, it nonetheless demonstrates The Sunpilots desire to experiment. This experimentation continues with 2 into 3. A revenge note to a cheating partner, thickly textured harmonies set it apart from even Ne Risque Rien.

Living Receiver can be understood best as a linear story of musical progression and a band learning each other’s talents. With Raj’s vocals it makes sense (and great music) to go for a richer, theatrical sound. The album’s themes lean toward a spare under-production. Where either end of the spectrum could’ve worked, this middle-of-the-road pop mix is nonsensical. The Sunpilots greatest asset is Raj’s versatile vocals. What they lack is a lyricist and an in-sync producer.