EP Review: Rocket To You

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.