The Rocket Summer - You gotta believe EP (Digital)

Excuse my roughness but to me, Bryce Avary is kind of the poor man's Andrew McMahon. Or at least The Rocket Summer is a less inspired and less talented Something Corporate for the new generation and, contrary to McMahon's former band, mostly girls. I have nothing against him and I honestly understand why he is an inspiration and a role model for a lot of young people via his commitment to faith, his hopeful lyrics and his permanent good mood. But his music makes me miss, worse, crave for new Something Corporate material. Quite fast-paced songs, high-pitched vocals, piano addition, the genre is the same but Avary fails where his peers succeeded by choosing pop catchiness over raw emotion.

'You gotta believe EP' isn't changing the equation. You'll find the pop-rock anthems to optimism ready to be sung along ('You gotta believe') and piano-driven ballads about love and life ('Hills and valleys') The Rocket Summer has been releasing since his debut. The choruses are easy, the hooks very commonplace and the lyrics about "believing and being free" cheerful but primary. It is yet to mention that the band is Avary's solo-project and if he has a full band on tour, he is the one composing, playing and producing all the instruments on his records. I personally think he is a better guitar than piano player and some of the guitar parts are very good, as the one following the break on 'Lights', which makes it my favorite song off the EP. Still on this track, he proves he isn't bad on drums either. But the piano parts are nothing great as they only add cheerful melody to the already very catchy compositions. What bothers me the most though is Avary's vocal fuss. He is much too often making annoying repetitive moans and breath sounds which I'm sure a lot of female fans find absolutely hot, but that to me makes him sound more like a dog in heat. Listen to 'You gotta believe' if you don't... believe me.

Bryce Avary's music isn't bad, just too average to feature real emotion. I won't hate on him, his message is meaningful and respectable, besides he is a great guy. Overall, The Rocket Summer isn't likely to disappoint many fans with his new EP, a glimpse of his next album 'Of men and angels' expected for early 2010. So if you like happy, keep-your-head-up pop-rock or enjoyed his previous material, you'll be pleased by those new songs.

3/5

Recommanded if you like:
Jack's Mannequin, Augustana, Waking Ashland
Check also:
The Morning Of, Ace Enders And A Million Different People, The Morning Light

www.myspace.com/therocketsummer
(iTunes, 2009)