The Divine

Album: Of Men and Angels
Artist: The Rocket Summer
Release Date: 2/23/2010
Label: Island Records
Grade: A

The Rocket Summer jets back into the spotlight, bringing upbeat lyrics to the pop-rock arena.
With relative silence since 2007's Do You Feel, lead singer/guitarist/pianist Bryce Avary has penned the brand new 15-track album, Of Men and Angels.
Imbued with the strong guitar-driven sound that fans have become accustomed to, the initial tracks 'Roses' and 'You Gotta Believe' kick the listener into gear and set the tone for the rest of the album.
Closely following are a few of the strongest songs The Rocket Summer has put out to date. The title track has a beat that hearkens back to 'Do You Feel', while 'I Need A Break…But I'd Rather Have A Break Through' draws you in with its powerful chorus.
Yet the middle portion of the album takes a different turn. Avary changes the tune up as he explores a different rhythm, and more serious topics, in the three successive tracks- 'Japanese Exchange Student', 'Nothing Matters', and 'Tara, I'm Terrible'.
This divergence from the norm never detracts from the album, but gives the listener a break in a long album that could have faded into monotony.
'Hey!' serves to bring the pace back to the norm for the remaining four tracks, which closes out with the sentimental message of 'Light', where Avary reminds us that he's 'old enough to know/ that time doesn't move slow enough/ and young enough to know/ that I can't ever be too old enough to trust you'.
Although focused on more weighty matters than its previous work, The Rocket Summer has kept the music feeling light while still conveying the message through carefully crafted lyrics, creating an album that lends itself to repeated play.

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