As a scene band, Amely were always third tier, a group who put out perfectly acceptable power pop at a time when fan interest in the genre as a whole was waning and “acceptable” was no longer good enough to stand out, with an army of internet “fans” that never quite translated to a live draw. Their failings were, in many ways, more of timing than of talent. So it’s hard to say that it was a shock when the band announced their dissolution this month.

What is a shock is The Raleigh Sessions, a robust and revelatory collection of self-produced demos that were intended to comprise part of what would have been Amely’s first long player. They’ve stripped away the electronic elements, which were never a major component of the band’s sound, and without them cluttering things up, a latent muscularity edges to the fore. It’s only complimented by the vast leaps vocalist Petie Pizzaro has made; while he can still hit the piercing high notes that are in many ways his trademark, his register has dropped significantly to a smooth baritone croon. Add in some stepped up musicianship – particularly from drummer Nate Parsell, who balances an open-gated stomp with some exceptionally intuitive fills – and the finished product is an EP that feels much more adult than their last.

It’s also more diverse. Opening track “Back To Love” plays like the best of The Killers later hits, a wide-open anthem anchored by Pizarro’s crisp, smooth annunciation and a guitar lead from Brandon Walden that smartly paints the corners with atmosphere while staying out of the way of the melody. “Sell Your Alibi” steps up the drama, a exuberant and outsized rocker crammed full of harmony vocals and searing guitar licks; call it Amely ripping off My Chemical Romance ripping of Queen, or just call it awesome. Meanwhile, “I’ll Never Be The Only One”’s chorus bounces along with all the concise pop smarts and big-heartedness of a lost Material Issue track. It’s not a perfect collection – the Cars-y “The Girl She Is” finds a killer chorus dragged down by Runner Runner-grade lyrics, with a well-conceived false ending that misfires in execution – but as demos go, The Raleigh Sessions is remarkably fully-realized.

There are a lot of reasons that acts get pigeonholed – the label they sign with, the bills they appear on, the friends they keep. The problem is, once people stick you in that mold, it’s exceptionally hard to break out. What’s clear from The Raleigh Sessions is that Amely were never meant to inhabit the niche they’ve been placed in, or, at the very least, they’ve grown out of it. Combine that with the fact that they were never a raging success in that niche to begin with (and that the niche itself is withering on the vine), and moving on and beginning again seems to be the logical move. Three of the four members of Amely (including Pizarro) have announced that they will be regrouping as a more rock-oriented act called Sovereign Soldiers. If this move is more about rebranding than refocusing – if The Raleigh Sessions is a preview of where their sound is headed – then the future for its members is bright even if Amely is no more.

★★★★☆

*This review was composed by Jesse Richman