CD Review of Descended Like Vultures by Rogue Wave
Label
Sub Pop
Rogue Wave:
Descended Like Vultures

Reviewed by Mike Farley

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I
ndie rock aficionados are either going to love Rogue Wave’s latest, Descended Like Vultures, or they are going to feel like the textures and layers of production have made them sound a bit more mainstream than on the band’s 2004 debut, Out of the Shadow. While Vultures has a quality that makes it palatable to the average listener’s ear (see Nada Surf), it also has an endearing lo-fi thing going on (see Death Cab, Elliot Smith). The synth strings and airy vocals also give Rogue Wave an ‘80s feel akin to O.M.D. or even Dream Academy. But the best thing about Rogue Wave is that they still manage to pull it all together and talk with their own musical voice. This is clearly a band on the verge of big things.

“Bird on a Wire” marries front man Zach Rogue’s smooth vocals with some crunchy, albeit whiney guitars, and somehow it works brilliantly. “Publish My Love” is a synth beauty, and is one of the tracks chosen for hit TV series “The O.C.” and then also landing on the show’s Mix 5 compilation. There are also some dreamy acoustic tracks, such as “Salesman at the Day of the Parade” and “California.” The latter has a twitching guitar riff that sounds like it was ripped from the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood.” “Love’s Lost Guarantee” has a dark, brooding minor-chord infested verse with a huge, major-chord-gang-vocal chorus. Other standouts are the raw energy of “10:1” and the ethereally triumphant “You.”

Is Rogue Wave going to be one of those bands that are just big enough to have that indie charm, selling out small rooms and keeping a relatively comfortable fan base happy? Or are they going to keep taking giant steps to becoming the next Coldplay? Whatever the band wants, they might not be able to avoid the latter if they keep making music this good. “The O.C.” was one of those giant steps, and the first real warning to get out of this band’s way.

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