Rocket Ship Resort
Megaheart EP
http://rocketshipresort.com
Something about being born in the early 70s and coming to musical maturity in the mid-80s instilled in me a predilection for the kind of digital pop music Rocket Ship Resort stuffed into their recent EP Megaheart. Up-beat and unapologetically electrified, these tracks cannot be listened to without various body parts rhythmically following along. A little Googling and Rocket Ship Resort turns out to be a solo project from Nashua, New Hampshire-based Skye Meredith who not only crafts the music, but the album art as well. Skye appears to be younger than me, and certainly doesn't perform my brand of rock and metal guitars, but where the portion of my soul stuck in the 80s is concerned, he hits all the right notes. These fun tracks somehow manage all this without becoming annoying earworms, which is even more awesome as far as I'm concerned.
"Pirate" hits the ground running, opening the quintet of tunes at full-bore pop/dance pace. This fun tune sets a great tone for the rest of the tracks, crafting an anticipation of more fun to come.
Second slot track "Where We'll Go" slows down just a beat or two, but remains pretty up-beat, despite an undercurrent of melancholy in the lyrics. The melancholy isn't a yearning for things past, but that the future isn't yet here and the fun to be had then will surpass the anticipation expressed by the singer.
"Moans On Loan" begins with the most 80s opening I've had the pleasure of hearing in quite a while. The only thing that keeps this track from being a complete nostalgia trip is the autotune, which doesn't completely distort the voice, but which does sound perfectly acceptable in the song's context. Like Howard Jones before them, the fully digital sound works to create a tone and sound that is complete unto itself. Rocket Ship Resort's sound doesn't require the synth to fill in for inadequate songwriting, it's kinda the point of the thing.
Demonstrating an unusually gentle touch, "Stars The Look Like You" slows the tempo a bit for a tender but not mawkish love song. The band's signature sounds are all here, but slowed down just enough. This isn't the school dance song that allows kids to latch onto each other and sway, but neither does it demand the manic energy of the listener that the rest of the EP does.
Rounding out the collection, "Mistress Magic" ramps the tempo up again. This track contains the only real evidence of something other than a synthesizer or drum machine; there's at least one violin being used here, but like the singers the strings find themselves pushed through the digital processor. The producer doesn't make the violin sound fake or wrong, but like the vocals, the modulation and slight digital shine added helps the instrument fit in.
This is the seventh release by Rocket Ship Resort; all can be found on Bandcamp. If the other six are anywhere near as good, I may find myself shelling out some real cash for this collection. Anyone who loves some good upbeat digital pop will probably be pushing this to the top of their playlist.
Megaheart EP
http://rocketshipresort.com
Something about being born in the early 70s and coming to musical maturity in the mid-80s instilled in me a predilection for the kind of digital pop music Rocket Ship Resort stuffed into their recent EP Megaheart. Up-beat and unapologetically electrified, these tracks cannot be listened to without various body parts rhythmically following along. A little Googling and Rocket Ship Resort turns out to be a solo project from Nashua, New Hampshire-based Skye Meredith who not only crafts the music, but the album art as well. Skye appears to be younger than me, and certainly doesn't perform my brand of rock and metal guitars, but where the portion of my soul stuck in the 80s is concerned, he hits all the right notes. These fun tracks somehow manage all this without becoming annoying earworms, which is even more awesome as far as I'm concerned.
"Pirate" hits the ground running, opening the quintet of tunes at full-bore pop/dance pace. This fun tune sets a great tone for the rest of the tracks, crafting an anticipation of more fun to come.
Second slot track "Where We'll Go" slows down just a beat or two, but remains pretty up-beat, despite an undercurrent of melancholy in the lyrics. The melancholy isn't a yearning for things past, but that the future isn't yet here and the fun to be had then will surpass the anticipation expressed by the singer.
"Moans On Loan" begins with the most 80s opening I've had the pleasure of hearing in quite a while. The only thing that keeps this track from being a complete nostalgia trip is the autotune, which doesn't completely distort the voice, but which does sound perfectly acceptable in the song's context. Like Howard Jones before them, the fully digital sound works to create a tone and sound that is complete unto itself. Rocket Ship Resort's sound doesn't require the synth to fill in for inadequate songwriting, it's kinda the point of the thing.
Demonstrating an unusually gentle touch, "Stars The Look Like You" slows the tempo a bit for a tender but not mawkish love song. The band's signature sounds are all here, but slowed down just enough. This isn't the school dance song that allows kids to latch onto each other and sway, but neither does it demand the manic energy of the listener that the rest of the EP does.
Rounding out the collection, "Mistress Magic" ramps the tempo up again. This track contains the only real evidence of something other than a synthesizer or drum machine; there's at least one violin being used here, but like the singers the strings find themselves pushed through the digital processor. The producer doesn't make the violin sound fake or wrong, but like the vocals, the modulation and slight digital shine added helps the instrument fit in.
This is the seventh release by Rocket Ship Resort; all can be found on Bandcamp. If the other six are anywhere near as good, I may find myself shelling out some real cash for this collection. Anyone who loves some good upbeat digital pop will probably be pushing this to the top of their playlist.
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