The Renaissance was a period of enlightenment in world history, occurring from the 14th to 17th century in Italy and spreading throughout Europe as they emerged from medieval times and moved towards a more modern way of thinking. Now in 2004 come The Renaissance, a quartet brought together by the founding members of Five Pointe O that seek to forge a new beginning with a different sound. Considering Daniel Struble and Sharon Grzelinksi left Five Pointe O largely due to musical differences, it should come as no surprise that this new endeavor is a step removed from the metallic demeanor of their former band. In fact, as "The Family Tree" shows, The Renaissance now have more in common with the likes of Align, All Parallels or 6gig, honing a heavily melodic rock style with strong post-hardcore undertones.

Their style of music may have changed but the fundamentals learned from past experiences are evident, as the songs offered here have ironclad structures that cleanly build into hooks that are subtle but infectious. Struble has also tried his best to evolve as a vocalist, eliminating his rap tendencies and pushing himself to rely more on clean singing than screams (resembling Boysetsfire's Nathan Gray), but given that his vocals have such a distinctive tone it doesn't take much to recognize who's behind the mic. In comparison Grzelinksi shows a healthy progression in adapting her talents to take on a much more melodic slant. Her contributions flutter from wandering space rock notes to a poppier riff-driven approach with ease. Bassist Kyle Blum and drummer Joe Kroehler are relative newcomers and their additions are perfunctory in scope, yet they prove that simplicity can be quite effective when good songwriting serves as the backbone.

What sets The Renaissance apart from other noteworthy indie rock ensembles is the experience half of the band have already amassed under their belt. That understanding of how the industry works as well as the wealth of touring should be highly beneficial for the band as they continue to establish themselves at the underground level. There are hints at what both Struble and Grzelinski can do here but neither seem too anxious at taking the leap. Still, the groundwork has been laid for some truly surprising moments in the future if they only dare to take a chance. As it stands this is a good beginning for a group with its share of baggage. Given the young age of the musicians involved there is still plenty of time to emerge with a new direction, especially one as solid as is shown here. Though their genealogy can in part be traced back through the rapcore and alternative metal genres, "The Family Tree" aptly displays that The Renaissance are a straight-ahead rock band; and it will be interesting to see whether these deep roots will break the surface or remain firmly entrenched underground as they continue to grow.