Cat Hill

I have been waiting for this album to be released since July of 2007. And let me tell you, it has not been a wait in vain.

The most recent addition to The Rocket Summer’s discography, “Of Men and Angels”, floored me. From the first song to the last, I was in awe. In a simple description, I could say that this album was a breath of fresh musical air. This is a longer album at 15 tracks, but each one is enjoyable in their own way.

This album was released on Feb. 23 where it debuted at the number-one spot, surpassing artists such as The Black Eyed Peas and Justin Bieber.

The Rocket Summer, consisting of Texas native Bryce Avary, has been around since 1999 when Avary released his first EP.

His first debut album, “Calendar Days”, was released in 2003 on The Militia Group record label. He also released, “Hello, Good Friend” under the same label. Shortly after, he left The Militia Group to sign to a major label (Island Def Jam Records). It was then that he released the powerful, scene-altering “Do You Feel”. “Do You Feel” focused on being aware of the problems in the world.

Avary wasn’t all about love songs. He writes songs to make you think, to make you feel emotion. Avary, a self-proclaimed Christian, works God into a lot of his music. Now, I won’t say he doesn’t write love songs, because he does. “So Much Love” is an absolutely fantastic song with a brilliant use of a horn section.

“Of Men and Angels” has a strong variety of songs. They range from the fun and up-beat “Roses”, which talks about having faith through everything, to the beautiful ballad “Walls”, which talks about getting through your struggles and having someone to rely on through the hard times.

I wish I had an unlimited amount of space so I could express my love for every single one of Avary’s songs on every single one of his albums, but unfortunately, I cannot. So, this is where I tell you that you can get all of his albums on iTunes. And I highly suggest you invest in them.

From 1999 to 2010, Bryce has put out nothing but solid, real music, with more meaning behind it than just trying to get it onto the radio. The Rocket Summer will also be appearing on this summer’s Warped Tour, which I also encourage you to check out. It’s an amazing place to discover new music and see some fantastic bands, including a few I’ve previously written about.

For more reviews not published, as well as previous reviews, you can check out musiccollegian.tumblr.com.