Rogue Wave - Out of the Shadow

Rogue Wave
Out of the Shadow
Sub Pop Records
Grade: A-

Picking on the now classic indie pop sound that Sub Pop is noted for thanks to bands like the Shins, Rogue Wave from SF comes a-knockin' with a re-issue of their 2002 debut Out of the Shadow. Heading this outfit is multi-instrumentalist Zach Rogue who began the group as a breath of fresh air for himself. Zach took a vacation to NYC to do record some songs with a friend and wound with a whole record worth of material and a new musical direction in life. Back in SF, he collected Pat Spurgeon, Sonya Westcott and Gram LeBron to fill out the band's needs. And they were off. Again, this record was released by the band on their Responsive Recordings and now Sub Pop have brought them into the fold and reissued it to whet the public's appetite for future releases. After a quick listen of the record's first track, "Every Moment," it is clear why Sub Pop would do so and why band's like the Shins, Spoon and Super Furry Animals would want them on tour. "Every Moment" is pop happiness coupled with moog to punctuate the sound and guitar swirls to fill things out. Acoustic guitars lead "Nourishment Nation" into the amazing Elliott Smith-esque "Be Kind & Remind." The pop-driven "Seasick on Land" opens the path to the acoustic slacker "Kicking the Heart Out." "Postage Stamp World" is slow, with pedal steel and that lazy picking, while "Sewn Up" falls back to pop dribble. Double vocals open "Falcon Settles Me" that produces a Simon and Garfunkel effect with acoustic guitars laying the foundation. The familiar beginning of "Endgame" makes you feel like you are in lollipop land and Zach's vocals definitely don't dissuade you from the sentiment. "Endless Shovel" picks up the pace with electronics and more orchestration and banjos lead the way on "Man-Revolutionary!" Out of the Shadow closes out on the hard, yet slow acoustic picking "Perfect." Though "Perfect" is a competent affair, this probably should not be the closer. With tours behind them and before them, look for Rogue Wave to become your new favorite band. They have the sound to make everyone drool, including the British. If by some act of God Rogue Wave doesn't succeed in the U.S. they should certainly fit into the British scene (and that will pique Americans interest, then they move back here and take over).