Every once in a while an album comes along that is so unfortunatelyignored that it deserves reissue on a bigger label with more clout,hopefully widening the band's audience for future mayhem on albums tocome. Such is the case with Rogue Wave, whose line-up on their tenderdebut was a mere shadow of their current roster, but the songs arephenomenal nonetheless, giving indie pop a real shot in the arm withclever songwriting and warm sometimes playful arrangements. Zach Roguerecorded the album mostly on his own with a few friends over two yearsago, then released it on his own Responsive Recordings label afterforming a band to perform the songs in public. As it turns out, thelive band performs the songs with more depth and vocabulary, attractingthem attention as a well-versed and dynamic live act. The next album,then, will show the true face of the band that is Rogue Wave, but fornow the stunning debut will have to do. Every song on it is a perfectpop moment, with great melodies, harmonies, and the kind of magic thatformer tour mates the Shins or others have had for one or two songs.None of them lasts over five minutes, and many are three and under,keeping the whole experience short and quaint. Rogue, who changed hislast name from Schwartz, obviously has a knack for quirky sounds andsweet lyrics, though he also had a lot of questions in his head whenthese songs were recorded, as every song has a bit of a hope orquestion in it. It's the little touches that make it perfect: birdschirping, or faded harmonica, or layered vocals and backwardsrecording. Even the song titles have that little twist of a sense ofhumor piled in with earnest emotion ("Nourishment Nation," "Kicking theHeart Out"). It's an album recorded by a man who had no home and wasn'tsure what was coming next, but he had to get the noises out of hishead. Rogue Wave in this form was a tour de force even before othermembers entered the mix, so there's no telling what they'll come upwith next. Hopefully, with just enough luck, Shadow won't be an act too hard for them to follow. Read More
