equal parts SubPop and FM rock

Now That We Have Your Attention (R.E.X.)

Rocketboy

By Robert Gruber

Out of the garage and in your face, Rocketboy blasts off big time on their second full-lengther. A heavy modern rock sound, infused with punk energy, new wave quirky and classic rock hooks, insures that Now That We Have Your Attention will keep your attention from one end to the other.

The first track, "High Dive," demands immediate maximum volume; "Cool," about the dubious "coolness" of drinking, follows: "I tried to think why I drink/I had to drink so I could think/The spirits are calling the lush in me....I'm so cool it hurts"; "Siren Song" has an acoustic Zeppelin-ish feel to it (with backing vocals by ex-Sweet Nectar Alicia Luma); "Disco Ball" (re-recorded from the first album, No Sign of Intelligent Life) is a smash hit single waiting to happen.

The intensity, humor and musicality of Rocketboy's live set is well-represented in these twelve songs. The band shifts dynamically from loud to soft and back again with ease. Lead guitarist Kip Bell conjures up some truly imaginative parts to compliment Trey Bailey's rhythm guitar and singing, while bassist Slade and new drummer Tim Watts keep the back-end on the road and moving. With a sound that is equally SubPop and FM rock, Rocketboy's newest is a treat for the ears (cool cover, too).