Review: Rocket – R Is for Rocket
Grunge Is not Dead!
A little while ago I wrote a piece about Nu gaze, the current revival of shoegaze embraced by Gen Z and Alpha which had a major breakthrough over the last year and a half. However, while shoegaze is currently all the rage, grunge and ’90s alternative rock have also been embraced by Zoomers, and while some bands incorporate grunge with shoegaze, other bands prefer to play it straight but with a fresh take. This is most certainly the case for LA newcomers Rocket, who have also garnered some buzz online thanks to their 2023 MLP Versions of You and opening for seminal ’90s acts like Sunny Day Real Estate, Frank Black (aka Black Francis from Pixies) and The Smashing Pumpkins, and have now released their debut LP R Is for Rocket through Transgressive Records.
Much like the nu gaze bands, Rocket combines sincere love of ’90s alternative, indie and grunge with modern sensibilities while evoking a sense of nostalgia for a time the band members have only heard about and their own younger days. While the band do a serviceable job at distilling the best aspects of ’90s rock, they also mix things up, and the record has some surprises along the way that both diverge from grunge canon and feel like a continuation from where the style left off. The album opener “The Choice” best exemplifies this by being a jangly and off-kilter indie pop slow burner that’s augmented by synths and keyboards before exploding with ripping guitars and bass; from the get-go the band lets you know they’re not here to be copyists or worshippers.
The rest of the record keeps a steady pace with the bulk of the album switching between arena-ready bangers and more anthemic bops. Rocket do an excellent job at combining the noisy bombast of grunge with mid-aughts pop hooks for an album that’s pleasing for the ears while still having a heavy rock edge that has been sorely missing. Moreover, frontwoman and bassist Alithea Tuttle’s vocals and lyrics are a major highlight; she delivers her verses with what I can only describe as impassioned yet melancholic coolness, as she evokes the aloof confidence of Kim Deal and the heart-on-sleeve croon of Michael Stipe as she sings about lived experiences of angst, romance, ennui, disappointment and hope. This is where the sense of nostalgia and longing really has its greatest impact, as Tuttle’s vocals paired with the music create a vibe that feels familiar but wholly unto the band themselves.
The band not only nails the vibe and feel they set out to accomplish, but they also have the musical chops to back it up. I already mentioned how effective and charming Tuttle’s vocals are, but her bass playing is also worth complimenting as she delivers hard-hitting grooves that will get stuck in your head. Guitarists Desi Scaglione (who also produced the record) and Baron Rinzler also excel at delivering riffs and solos that balance that classic rock crunch with shimmering melody and also get a chance to branch out with acoustic guitars and playing around with effects and feedback when needed. Tuttle, Scaglione and Rinzler also share keyboard duties and while the record doesn’t feature them a lot, they’re employed very well and hit hard at key moments. Last but not least drummer Cooper Ladomade is the band’s backbone, as she effortlessly switches between force and restraint, her slower beats are especially effective in the latter half of the record with tracks such as ballad “Number One Fan” and the propulsive penultimate track “Wide Awake”.
Overall this record is a major triumph for the band as they aimed high and succeeded in making a dynamic and impactful album to truly make their own mark. While it does wear its influences at times, the band plays with so much youthful exuberance that it’s infectious. While I was left wanting more, I respect the band for making an album that’s concise and effective as no song feels like an afterthought or a throwaway, and the production by Scaglione further boosts the band’s talents; the mixing is particularly great as you hear every instrument and vocals clearly and they never fight for space whatsoever. This is best heard in the closing title track where the band gets the most experimental, a soaring epic with a noise-driven breakdown which is impactful and perfectly encapsulates the album as a whole: anthemic, exuberant, with a sense of melancholy and angst but ultimately hoping for the best in spite of it all.
While to some extent I agree that we’re becoming too reliant on nostalgia on entertainment as of late, that same nostalgia is also driving artists to step out into the world and express themselves. Rocket is a band I came across by pure happenstance, a random recommendation on YouTube and was instantly hooked, and this record is the sound of this generation’s spirit: they know things are shitty, they’ve felt despair and defeat, but it doesn’t dissuade them, and I genuinely look forward to what Rocket does next because they’ve definitely proved themselves.
4/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
R is for Rocket is out now through Transgressive Records.
