The Rocket Summer – Do You Feel

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with The Rocket Summer in the past. My first introduction was with Hello, Good Friend, and that did little to impress me. However, once I saw them live I was converted – their live show was amazing and I became a fan. I went back to Hello, Good Friend and the record started to grow on me. The Militia Group then released an out-of-print EP which, while nothing terrible, was very forgettable and I don’t think I’ve played it more than a handful of times in total. Anyway, even though I was unsure of what I would feel regarding Bryce Avery’s follow-up record, I was still excited to hear Do You Feel and when I did hear it, I was very pleased with the result.

While the album has no songs as utterly mind blowing as Never Knew or Brat Pack (lyrically or passionately wise), Do You Feel is much more direct than Hello, Good Friend was. Hello, Good Friend took some time for the record to grow on me, it took a lot of listens for me to truly appreciate the little pop tendencies of Avery and his band. Do You Feel, on the other hand, jumps at you right from the start. It doesn’t need multiple plays to become comfortable, it is immediately enjoyable. The entire record is strong and vivid without any filler. From the Something Corporate influenced Save to the bouncy Taken Aback, Do You Feel is constantly fun, energetic and catchy. On top of that, Avery’s vocal delivery has improved immensely. He seems much more confident in himself and it comes through on the record. He no longer succumbs to pointless screams or whispers too soft to decipher. Instead he sings throughout, constantly leading the song forward – it is never more evident than on Hold It Up which sees Avery vocals really soar as he shows off his range and the clap-along chorus is sure to be a fan favorite for years to come.

Lyrically, the album still features the always present love and heartbreak songs like So, In This Hour…, Taken Aback and So Much Love but most surprising of all, the album is full of a sense of disillusionment with the music industry. Songs like High Life Scenery and A Song Is Not A Business Plan (two standout tracks from the album thanks to both the lyrics and energetic feel of the songs) sees Avery taking a stab at the new wave of emo and generic bands spitting out the same boring songs over and over again – and more importantly, songs without any emotion or relevance to them; just something to please the masses. While some acts wouldn’t be able to pull this off without being torn apart, The Rocket Summer is able to overcome that hurdle becuse it comes through as sincere and fun all the way through.

While maybe not the most original album ever created, Do You Feel is enjoyable front to back. Featuring a diverse sound from the striped down Run To You which just has Avery and his piano together to the more boisterous Hold It Up, The Rocket Summer have released a strong summer pop record that fans of Something Corporate or Relient K (and not to mention previous Rocket Summer fans) will love completely.