PWNZ Like: Jack’s Mannequin, My Favorite Highway, Never Shout Never, This Century

 

            Starting his music career in his teens, the Rocket Summer’s Bryce Avary has always had a passion for music. After teasing us with last year’s You Gotta Believe EP, Avary released his latest disc, Of Men and Angels, on Feb. 23. Of Men and Angels is more ambitious and more mature than any of Avary’s previous records. It focuses more on Avary’s inner struggles, yet sometimes it manages to feel less personal.

            Judging by the You Gotta Believe EP, one would assume Of Men and Angels would consist of optimistic, energetic, and bubbly tunes; basically, one would expect a textbook TRS record. However, that assumption would be a little off. On this disc, Avary is unafraid to sing about when all hope seems lost for him, and takes a slightly more melancholic approach to some songs. The album isn’t completely negative, but it does have its moodier moments.

            “I Want Something to Live For” is one of the most inspirational songs off the record. It’s a simple, straight-forward song in which Avary sings about feeling like he’s losing his youth and the feeling of fearlessness and invincibility that comes with it. Avary sings about how he feels like he’s lost his purpose in life, but remains hopeful, holding on to his signature positive mentality, noticeable like that of My Favorite Highway. Avary’s fierce, soul-bearing vocals make it obvious that little can sway his determined spirit.

“Stop fearing death/

I want something to live for/

I’ve been holding my breath/

I want something to live for,” Avary declares.

The quiet and tuned-down “Walls” is one of Of Men and Angels’ true gems. It starts off just with Jack’s Mannequin-esque piano and Avary’s earnest and tender voice. Avary uses walls as a metaphor to depict someone feeling trapped and alone. When he, with conviction, proclaims “You are not alone,” he seems to embody an otherworldly hope. The song gradually builds momentum, finally launching into a full production arrangement. The Rocket Summer shares Never Shout Never’s unwavering (if not somewhat naïve) belief in hope for humanity. “Walls” is definitely one of The Rocket Summer’s most powerful songs to date.

            “Nothing Matters”’ catchy nature can be attributed to Avary’s angelic vocalizations. The song is based on Avary’s epiphany that people often take good things for granted, worrying too much about materialistic, unimportant things instead of things that really matter, like love, community, and compassion. Avary delivers a snap of reality when he points out the things that are morally wrong that we often ignore, and asks listeners to face the truth and look into themselves to realize that material things don’t matter. “Nothing Matters” carries the weight of Avary’s frustration with society’s ignorance and calls for change.

            Of Men and Angels is effective at making you think, but it isn’t a flawless record. Even though Avary offers 15 songs, the album sometimes sounds repetitive. It’s obvious that Avary loves his music and had a hard time cutting out songs for the LP, and I think Avary made a mistake releasing his potential hit songs on  You Gotta Believe, and then putting them on the record. (“You Gotta Believe,” “Hills and Valleys,” “Light”) As a result, the songs lose some of their wow-factor amid the new songs.

Avary’s ideas were brilliant and feel bigger-than-life, but it feels like some of them weren’t fully developed or able to reach their full potential. For example, “Japanese Exchange Student” is an exceptional song. I love its concept, but the metaphor is confusing and difficult to understand, and completely lost on me. It occasionally feels like Avary deals the same cards.

“Light,” the closing track, was a misstep on the disc. Don’ t get me wrong; it’s a great closing song, but the few songs that come before it on the disc make “Light” feel out of place, which is a shame because  it’s a powerful, hopeful, and inspirational song. All the inner struggles Avary has seem to be resolved in this song, and would have brought an effective end to the album had the track listing been slightly different.

Despite all this, in Of Men and Angels, The Rocket Summer has evolved a more mature sound, and done so successfully. Avary shows he’s not just another posi-pop act; he can craft thoughtful and heavyhearted songs just as well. With Of Men and Angels, The Rocket Summer expands its musical style beyond pop-infused love songs. This dedicated Texan one-man band deserves a breakthrough—and it’s long overdue.