Rogue Wave are determinedly nostalgic for an open, generous rock: recalling Tom Petty’s poppier moments, they veer for the middle of the road with clear harmonies, loose beats and sudden blasts of elegiac guitar. Somehow keeping on the right side of fey and effete, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate is a solid album that is held back by a clean modern production sheen.
At their most charming when at their roughest- the fade out to Ghost descends into clunking disorder, with the following track lurching into a sweet and dreamy acoustic ballad. Recent single ‘Lake Michigan’ remains the stand out, somehow evoking The Cocteau Twins in the stadium sized riffs. They dither between anthems and more introverted melodies, never really rocking out, never really abandoning traditional song structure. Zach Rogue is rarely explicit in his lyrics- half mumbled, half chanted, he sits low in the mix, leaving the occasional eruption of chiming electric guitar to lead the band.
Rogue Wave are quite difficult to pin down. They do reward repeated listens, but never throw down an immediate hook or startling, invasive melody. On ‘Phonytown’ they do that new wave thing that is so fashionable- possibly a sign of the band’s ability to range across styles, or maybe a signal of their lack of direction.
- Bellowhead - 1 December 2008
- The Vines - 17 June 2008
- Toyko Police Club - 17 June 2008