Rocket Bureau “Middle Angst”
A concept album born out of frustration, don’t let the quick punk opener “Disconnected” throw you off too much. Wisconsin’s Kyle Urban describes middle-age blues perfectly on several short bursts of power-pop energy. “Not You” and “Lipstick Queens” express the raw emotion, like “you’re no fun anymore.” The guitar acrobatics are quite impressive, but it gets better on “Summertime Crime,” a look back at those “wasted” years of youth and how it’s over. The tunes blend together seamlessly, fans of Cockeyed Ghost will really enjoy this album, especially “Something Wrong” which goes for the full Robert Pollard, loaded with layered riffs and an anthemic chorus.
“Bummer” continues our protagonist journey “what if you dropped everything, and let it shatter?” And the next several songs deal with a “sort of introspective hell” and it keeps the pedal to the floor on tone and tempo. Each short musical theme resonates, with “One For The Angels” and “Starlit Hotline” as standouts. While I enjoyed this album, it seemed a bit too long. Despite this pet peeve, it’s a very worthy musical ride that deserves to be heard.
The Dials “And Another Thing ... b-sides and asides”
The Dials are a British band that formed in 2002 whose music is a mixture of psychedelia, country, and rock. These are “B-sides” that never made previous albums, but the quality is really high. It starts with an excellent psychedelic groove “A Jigsaw Mind” and it seamlessly goes into “C.S.N.” which name drops legendary band’s Deja Vu, with an organ and acoustic guitar tribute. “Watch Her Walk Away” is another Byrdsian composition similar to “Eight Miles High.”
The songs then shift to a more folky direction with “Ford In The Road” and “Little Voices.” These mellow compositions give way to “Deep Blue Sea” a surf guitar lead gem that would make Dick Dale proud. A standout here is the music hall piano selection “The Station” with a terrific melody and middle eight. Then the band lets loose on the title track “And Another Thing,” and it rocks! The talent here is undeniable. Overall an enjoyable listen and should encourage you to invest in the band’s past “A” material.