Roman Traffic

Progressive rock quintet Roman Traffic&rsquo;s band photo on their MySpace page is a total cliche. No one is staring at the camera, and they all look despondent &mdash; one member even stares down at the cigarette between his fingers with a pained expression, like he just found out his dog died or something. So it was refreshing hear that &ldquo;Acquired Attire,&rdquo; a track also posted on their MySpace, is far from an overly complex prog rock cliche (like the Mars Volta&rsquo;s energy-sapping noise experimentation, or Dream Theatre&rsquo;s piano-driven metal). The real beauty in &ldquo;Attire&rdquo; is how it skirts the line between prog rock complexity and alt rock accessibility. The song is in compound time (12/8), and drummer Matt Arsenault repeatedly bangs out rapid-fire drum rolls. But Arsenault&rsquo;s stunt drumming becomes barely noticeable when vocalist Benjamin Grenville confesses his wardrobe-related insecurities. As he moans &ldquo;With these ordinary clothes, will you question my style?&rdquo; guitarists Evan Crisman and Alex Brahms heighten his angst with loud, catchy guitar hooks. &ldquo;Attire&rdquo; may not update the band&rsquo;s wardrobe, but with such a great song under their belts, they should be able to muster smiles in their next band photo. myspace.com/romantraffic.