29 Mar 2024
UsernamePassword

Remember Me? | Join | Recover
Click here to sign in via social networking

Roulettes - EP Review: Rocket To You

29 May 2020 // A review by darryl baser

The Rocket To You EP is dedicated to Dunedin musician Andrew Brough (Straitjacket Fits, Bike) who passed away at his Dunedin home in February this year.

Two members of this three-piece have close ties with Andrew Brough, Justin McLean is Andrew’s stepbrother, and Ben Grant was (along with Justin) played in the band Funhouse, for whom Andrew was a mentor.

The five-song EP opens hugely with Hullabaloo, a song built upon a driving guitar riff. The song sets the tone for the EP well, guitar to the fore, with powerful well recorded and produced vocals.

The second song Ordinary Glories brings the tempo down, and eases off the distortion pedal. The reviewer’s notes say this song, and the title track, Rocket To You, "specifically grew out of grieving, and drifting apart from loved ones," and it’s a description which really fits the feel of these songs.

Even if you didn’t know some of the inspiration behind these songs, you can feel the heart and soul which has gone into the writing and recording process.

There are some really beatlesque touches on this EP, especially in the vocal production, melody and harmonies, while the guitars are pure late 80's, early 90's Dunedin.

This EP has come together well, despite a tyranny of distance, as all three members live in different countries. It is quite the achievement that the EP sounds like the members were all in the large and slightly damp Dunedin practice room.

Rocket To You is a beautiful tribute to Andrew Brough. RIP old pal.

Rating: ( 4 / 5 )
 

About Roulettes

Roulettes was formed by Ben and Justin in Auckland in the early 2000's from the ashes of sonic Dunedin Rock n Roll bands (Funhouse, Bike). They released two EPs (You Want It and Unread Books) before settling on Mark Queenin (Bike, Garageland) on drums and recording their debut album, The Roulettes.




Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Roulettes

Releases

Demosphere
Year: 2021
Type: Album
Rocket To You
Year: 2020
Type: EP
Venus Burns
Year: 2017
Type: Album
The Roulettes
Year: 2014
Type: Album
Unread Books
Year: 2010
Type: EP
You Want It
Year: 2009
Type: EP

Other Reviews By darryl baser

MEDaL - Album Review: Sequela
14 Dec 2022 // by darryl baser
Christchurch trio MEDaL are a combination of many years of New Zealand musical history. Singer and guitar slinger David Mulcahy was in JPSE and Superette, bass player John Billows has spent time with The Renderers and Dark Matter and drummer Mark Whyte is part of Into The Void.
Read More...
The Bobby Holidays - Album Review: At The Beach
13 Dec 2022 // by darryl baser
The Bobby Holidays' At The Beach opens with the song Jane, syncopation is to the fore with a great horn section blowing against bass, drums and guitar. The song has an up tempo happy summer vibe.
Read More...
Mad Cow - Single Review: Same Boat
01 Dec 2022 // by darryl baser
Same Boat is the latest single to be released Taranaki 3-piece Mad Cow. Mad Cow are mainstays of the New Plymouth have been around since the 1990’s in the North Island’s music scene, evolving from school band No Comment.
Read More...
The New Existentialists - EP Review: Last Days of the Internet
23 Nov 2022 // by darryl baser
It might seem like George D Henderson has been a part of the New Zealand music landscape for about as long as Keith Richards has been playing guitar. He’s been in the Flying Nun arena with The Puddle based in Dunedin.
Read More...
Nika - Single Review: Saviour Complex
03 Nov 2022 // by darryl baser
A song with an interesting title will always grab my attention, and the idea of people with a saviour complex has always fascinated me, so when the new song by Nika called Saviour Complex was offered to me to review I almost somersaulted. The song opens with a gently and alluring piano melody before Nika’s voice kicks in and from the first notes some vocal training is obvious.
Read More...
The RVMES - Single Review: Simple Things
05 Oct 2022 // by darryl baser
Oh My God. There are bangers then there’s this tune.
Read More...
VÏKÆ - EP Review: Love Games
25 Aug 2022 // by darryl baser
Veronika Bell, known to music fans as Vikae, has been composing and producing music for a good few years, and is gaining some crossover traction between the dance and pop worlds. While she writes many of her tunes on a piano, and can perform them beautifully with piano and her impressive voice, it is the dance-styled pop versions of her tune which have been garnering her acclaim.
Read More...
Mecuzine - Album Review: Locksmith Thief
21 Jul 2022 // by darryl baser
Now that’s a great way to open an album. Bruised and Broken is the first track of Mecuzine’s new album Locksmith Thief, and my god what an epic track to open their new record.
Read More...
View All Articles By darryl baser

NZ Top 10 Singles

  • WE CAN'T BE FRIENDS (WAIT FOR YOUR LOVE)
    Ariana Grande
  • BEAUTIFUL THINGS
    Benson Boone
  • END OF BEGINNING
    Djo
  • LOSE CONTROL
    Teddy Swims
  • TEXAS HOLD 'EM
    Beyonce
  • STICK SEASON
    Noah Kahan
  • PRAISE JAH IN THE MOONLIGHT
    YG Marley
  • CARNIVAL
    Kanye West And Ty Dolla $ign
  • SATURN
    SZA
  • LOVIN ON ME
    Jack Harlow
View the Full NZ Top 40...
muzic.net.nz Logo
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report a ProblemReport A Problem