Well I had The Rocket Summers debut release "Calendar Day" in my top 10 of 2003. It's now 2005 and we see Bryce Avary's The Rocket Summer 2nd full-length release. My initial reaction is that he has lost something from that first release. Maybe it was the charm of an 18 year old releasing an album of great positive catchy pop songs some of which were written when he was younger then 16. Or maybe it was the cover art featuring the now 22 year old Bryce front and center on the new album that just kind of freaked me out.
But that was just my initial feeling and as I got a little more into this album that same catchy, upbeat and positive pop music I liked so much on the debut album started to shine through. While not all the tracks have what I enjoyed so much in the first release, they are still here on this new album at times.
The album starts out with a minute and twenty eight second throw away opening piano ballad (I mean come on, why not turn what seems like a decent tune into a full song?). The 2nd track "I Was So Alone" kicks thing off with a solid piano and guitar driven pop rock love song that seems to be more about Christ then it does a girl. "Rock Around the Clock" is sure to get you moving but may have you thinking "did I hear this song on Radio Disney the other day?". The Rocket Summer slows things down a little on "Tell Me Something Good". What appears to be at least the first single from the release "Brat Pack" is a bit cheesy, but is turning out to be a guilty pleasure that I cannot get out of my head.
The album quickly slows back down with the piano based ballad "Treasure" another song that deals pretty exclusively with Bryce's faith. In my opinion the last track is a throw away also. It clocks in at over 11 minutes and we hear no signing until around 4 minutes. So that leaves us eleven non-throw away tracks. Eight of which have that catchy upbeat feeling that seems to be the thing people, or at least myself are looking for from The Rocket Summer.
2.5/4
Other coverage for this album
HM Magazine #114Reviewed by James WetzIn 2003, Bryce “Rocket Summer” Avary released his label debut entitled Calendar Days. It is arguably the most happy-go-lucky CD ever. Although he still urges us to “dance until we just can’t,” Hello, Good Friend witnesses the development of a more mature sound from a musical wiz-kid. To say this maturity makes for a “better” album than his previous release is something I can’t agree with, but it…Similar sounding releases
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