London’s Rocketeer aren’t quite your typical Indie-Rock band. They sound as though they could implode at any moment; such is the amount of musical influences in their unique sound.
‘Leave Me’ opens with a Coldplay-esque piano and the telling of a story - “one howling night in September”, croons lead singer and bassist Felix Hagan, “a man tore asunder his soul”. Straight away, it becomes quite clear that Rocketeer possess the kind of lyrical cool and the inventive threat that should represent British music.
Jangly, crackling guitars kick in and pull the rug from under the listener and give way for the first verse. As the band behind him stomp and stalk their way toward the chorus, Hagan sings of “those damned sycophants and their fancies” and explains how there’s “no cheer from the bottle”. All these ominous thoughts seep into the mind of the listener, but as soon as Rocketeer have let you get quite uncomfortable, they drop the chorus and oh, what a catchy monster it is.
Where this quintet may not appeal to some with their elaborate lyricism, a chorus like the one crafted for ‘Leave Me’ is a secret weapon every band should have ready and waiting. It is about here that Rocketeer attack the defenses in full and induce a slight head nodding that soon morphs into an all out urge to dance. Over music that sounds like Franz Ferdinand having a jolly old war with Maroon 5, the underlying aggression in Hagan’s voice promises more to come.
More does indeed come later on as Hagan’s lyrics unfold throughout a brilliant interlude into a brutal stripping-down of the song’s hero. Hagan speaks of the “hapless drunk; another juiced up youth; little nebulous punk who got doused, soused and Famous-Groused”. Lyrics like these, over music as accomplished as that performed by Rocketeer, should be what represent British music. Inventive in nature and certainly more interesting than a lot of music currently being released, Rocketeer deliver music worth listening to and ‘Leave Me’ is a brilliant example of that.
‘Leave Me’ won’t be for everyone, but those who do like it will love it. If you take one thing from this review of ‘Leave Me’ then let it be this – Rocketeer are a band who truly deserve a listen. Be warned, however, for once you have listened to ‘Leave Me’, you will find it impossible not to delve into the musical escapades of Rocketeer.
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‘Leave Me’ opens with a Coldplay-esque piano and the telling of a story - “one howling night in September”, croons lead singer and bassist Felix Hagan, “a man tore asunder his soul”. Straight away, it becomes quite clear that Rocketeer possess the kind of lyrical cool and the inventive threat that should represent British music.
