There are very few bands over the years that I’ve reviewed and scored them consistently highly. It’s even weirder that, in regard to The Rocket Summer, I’ve given their records 5-star reviews and not really listened to them all that much. It’s strange because I believe Bryce is a musical genius and whenever I do listen to any TRS record I remember why I fell in love with it. But it doesn’t seem to have the pull to lure me in to listen to his stuff over and over again. It’s like I know it’s amazing, but I don’t need to listen. Yes, I’m weird.
Bryce has been away for a while and with a new record in the works this digital-only EP acts as a taste of what’s to come. The basic premise of this review is that if you like The Rocket Summer then you’ll love this. It’s a great sample of what the band do, which is play melodic piano-rock better than any of their contemporaries. I’m not sure this record is as up-tempo or catchy as some of the earlier material – for instance, there’s no ‘Brat Pack’ here – but that’s not a bad thing. The vocals are spot on, the piano is not overrused and everything is in the right place. It does exactly what you’d expect from a sample EP – it whets your apetite and leaves you wanting that bit more. ‘Hills and Valleys’ and ‘Light’ are more of the goodness we’ve come to expect and if this sets the standard, there’s nothing to worry about from the upcoming new album.