Pretentious Fools is a fun, electric 5 piece band playing their own original songs. To audiences, their musical influences quickly become apparent, ranging from rock ("Abattoir") to ballad ("Salvation") to jam ("Join a Circle") to country ("Shades of Gray") to power pop ("Alright") and more, all while being lyrically clever, adventurous, provocative and genuine. Their 1st album,"In the River", was recorded live and includes 11 original songs. The title track of the album, by the same name, features 3 part harmonies in the spirit of Crosby, Stills and Nash, along with guitar and mandolin counterpoint, a mandolin solo and driving rhythmic bass and drums. The members of Pretentious Fools are Harsha Gopal (guitar, bass, vocals), Stephen Funk Pearson (lead guitar, vocals), Obrogaio (bass, guitar, vocals), Louis Henri Pingitore (mandolin) and Jonathan Williams (drums). Founded in 2011 and based in Cambridge, MA, their talents/vocations are as diverse as their musical backgrounds and include surgeon, classical composer, videographer, and artist.