Us Against the Crown is the debut full-length from State Radio, a Massachusetts trio fronted by Chad Urmston. He formed the group after the dissolution of Dispatch, a reggae-influenced jam band much beloved on the college circuit. State Radio retains many of the hallmarks that won Dispatch so many fans, including an affection for bubbling bass lines and an unfailingly laid-back demeanor that conjures an endless stretch of summer days well spent. However, on Us Against the Crown Urmston takes pains to distance himself from some of Dispatch’s more marked indulgences. Gone are the lengthy jams and playful mashups of popular hits, replaced by more streamlined songwriting and a more earnest set of lyrical concerns. On “Right Me Up”, Urmston sings of the challenges faced by a wheelchair-bound friend, while “Camilo” presents the internal conflict of a soldier struggling with the decision to go AWOL. For the most part, State Radio’s debut is a remarkably deft modern rock album: a promising debut that builds on the accomplishments of Urmston’s former outfit while firmly fixing its eyes on the future.