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by Tony Pascarella Published: May 17, 2005
The Rocket Summer Is: Bryce Avary (Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Piano) The album starts with the brief intro track, "Move"; it gives first-time listeners an idea just what The Rocket Summer is all about. You may feel like skipping this one, but don't. "I Was So Alone" is the first of many songs on Hello, Good Friend that stands head and shoulders above its competition. Avary's upbeat, sugary-sweet piano melody is solidly accented with drum and cymbal crashes. Oh, that's even before his singing kicks in. Vivid imagery coupled with a strong vocal range make this one absolutely necessary to listen to. A bouncy piano tune called "Around The Clock" is up next. It's when you hit this spot in the album that you realize how talented Bryce really is. I honestly don't think he does anything halfway. It's always full-on fun. "This won't be a sad song/there's gonna be claps and singing along" should give anyone an idea where Hello, Good Friend is headed. Next stop, everyone's Top 10 Lists for 2005. "I'm Doing Everything" focuses on the electric guitar a bit more than anything previously on the album. Avary's upbeat, hopeful lyrics are great. This song of boundless love is just pure energy. I honestly can't find anything wrong with it. His anguished vocals mesh well with the chorus, "Cuz I'm doing everything for you/Cuz I love to be near you/Something just takes me away to a place where I'm happy/Cuz I'm doing everything for you/Yeah you know that I adore you and I just can't take it anymore." It stands as romantic and fun at the same time. Leading off with some finger snaps, "Tell Me Something Good" is a less peppy track that still manages to leave a stunning impression. The verses are masterfully simplistic yet at the same time leave you feeling nearly philosophical. If you want a great showcase of Bryce's voice, this song is for you. He nails the high notes, throws some wailing in, and manages to get everything else just about perfect. A little bit of introspection is a great thing, and no one does it better than The Rocket Summer. A soft piano intro leads off "Never Knew." First impressions are that it's a slow, possibly boring track. Instead, Avary kicks it up a notch. The guitar and drums come in, while maintaining the same level of emotion; it's just pop-derived fun with a little something extra that you'll only see from TRS. If you can get used to Bryce's sometimes screechy moments, you'll quickly learn how much you really love this album. The lead single is "Brat Pack," which certainly gives first-time listeners an amazing introduction to The Rocket Summer. A mild piano melody combined with drums and vocals quickly transforms into a punchy number that you won't be able to get out of your head no matter how hard you try. I personally love the instrument work on this song; everything meshes seamlessly and Avary pulls it off with a flourish. You know how we've been waiting for that slow piano-based song for the last seven tracks? Finally, we get one with "Treasures." Bryce's combination of piano and strong vocals reminds me a little of Elton John on this brief (2 minutes, 9 seconds) track. Each note is precisely planned and performed, and as a whole, it just sounds excellent. The segue between "Treasures" and the following one, "Story," is perfectly seamless, a task that is more complicated than it seems. The beginning seems like a transition, but soon evolves into a powerful piano-pop song. "Goodbye Waves and Driveways" uses some sparse acoustic guitar picking throughout. In fact, that seems to be the only instrument Avary uses on the song until the last 75 seconds, when some drums and a little flourish kick in. If you wanted from The Rocket Summer a cozy sound reminiscent of a singer-songwriter up on a stage by himself in a small club, that's exactly what you'll get. Instead of infectious choruses, you get sentiment and vibrant yet often raw vocals out of the 22-year old. Back to his tried and true method of musicmaking on the next track "Show Me Everything You've Got," Avary manages to wow again. This is tightly arranged power-pop that mixes the guitar, piano, and drums effectively. If this doesn't grow on you, honestly you don't deserve to call yourself a fan. "Destiny" follows as the second-to-last song on Hello, Good Friend. Simple guitar hooks consume this one. At times, Bryce's vocals can be a little harsh, which takes away from the passion of the track. Despite this, the transitions from chorus to verse to bridge and back again is superb. This excellent sophomore album finishes up with the eleven minute "Christmas Present." With Avary twanging away at his guitar, this song is slow to build up, but still contains some great instrumental music to absorb. About two minutes in, drums and electric guitar jump in, maintaining the same flow with a bit edgier sound. It isn't until the four-minute mark that any vocals at all are sung. With a smoky sound, he sings for awhile until another instrumental buildup. Around seven and a half minutes in, it reduces back to just an acoustic guitar. This almost ends up like a hidden track, but it turns out to be just enjoyable music to chill to. Nothing overly profound, but "Christmas Present" does have its moments. Some may consider it a dull end to the album, but I really dig it. If you'd like to listen to one of the best albums of 2005, make sure you pick up The Rocket Summer's Hello, Good Friend. It's shiningly beautiful while still capturing the powerful vibe and fun that the name implies. It exemplifies the "summer album" and shows vast leaps of musical maturity and instrumental prowess. If you buy only one album in May, get the amazingly dynamic Hello, Good Friend.
Recommendation:
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