Rooney, a major label band that brought us a power pop smash debut in 2003. It is an perfect example of how it combines past influences with present tastes to create indelible power pop classics. Led by frontman Robert Schwartzman, Rooney’s new album “Calling the World” continues to offer us sweeping melodic hooks and strong addictive alt rock singles. Simply put, it is above and beyond the debut album. Rooney has also updated their sound a bit. It is a bit more studied and less carefree, I guess the band matured after four years. It opens with the uber-catchy “When did your heart go missing” – sure to have MTV repeatability. Next up an truly amazing Queen-like “I should have been after you” with great beat and harmonies that are truly classic. Then “Tell Me Soon” hits all the power chords and forges together a massive rock single. “Don’t Come Around Again” brings the glam back with a capital “G” and sizzling guitar riffs. “Are they Afraid” is a amalgam of Alan Parsons Project and ELO influences. All the tunes here are not just good. They are great and every track here speaks volumes. Rooney have taken some of the best rock of the last forty years and melded it together into their own sound that is truly accessible to the fickle public. The lyrical content here is not so profound, but it is easily digested. Easily, this makes my top 10 list. In fact, it is right now the best album I heard all year so far. And a major label release yet! Run don’t walk to get this album.
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Listen to “Calling the world”
Listen to “When did your heart go missing”
awesome post! i can’t wait to see them when they hit LA in november. there’s actually a cool interview with them in ragged that i just finished reading too. check it out for free at http://www.raggedmag.com. robert looks hot in the pics too…
I’ll admit that nothing on this album has the immediacy of Rooney’s debut single “Blueside” but it is more consistently good all the way through. I
good review. I have to say I think that the last album was better, but hopefully it’ll grow on me.
-alan