The Age of Rockets
Hannah

Release Date: Mar 4, 2008

As important as I think it is to start off a music review with my own opinion of a band, sometimes, it's interesting to have the band's perspective of their music on hand. Take this little opinionated nugget, lifted from The Age of Rockets member Bess Rogers' MySpace: "I'm in this band and we make synth/orchestral/pop music that will make your heart bleed a liquefied version of Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe."

Hmm…in this case, I'm going to agree with Bess's assertions about the band, simply because I wasn't a fan of Uncle Tom's Cabin. While I don't want to start a fist-fight with both canonical literature and a synth/orchestral/pop group, I'll take a few blows if I have to.

Truth is, The Age of Rockets is almost as epic as a liquefied version of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Almost. All of the ingredients are there—multi-instrumental foundations, intros reminiscent of Postal Service tracks and the appropriate dramatic swells. So, what's missing? Even after repeated listens of Hannah, their sophomore effort, I can't tell you for sure. It just feels like they're biting off a little bit more than they can chew with certain songs. However, the few times they manage to pull all of the elements together on this album, the result is truly beautiful.

Take, for instance, the opening track "What Story Down There Awaits Its End?" Here, Age of Rockets sparsely utilizes instrumentation, and instead layers voices to create ethereal, yet grand harmonies. It's songs like these that hint at the potential of this band to create memorable music.

"Avada Kedavra" reeks of Postal Service in the best way possible. The sporadic beats of the introduction sound like you're getting a bonus track from Give Up. However, these lyrics are some of the best on the album, and consequently, singer Andrew Futral's voice is showcased for all its worth here.

Oddly enough, The Age of Rockets put their two best songs right in the beginning. That's great if you only needed to enjoy yourself for approximately eight minutes, but unfortunate if you were planning to listen to the album in all its 42-minute glory. "Actors/Ghosts", the third track, gets the award for the worst song. Futral's voice actually sounds like he's tired of what he's singing, and the offbeat rhythms aren't as cool and quirky as the trio probably thought they were in the studio.

"1001 Dirty Tricks to Kill Your King" stands out, but not necessarily as a great song. I was just shocked that a track could be so aptly named-the delicate use of strings makes you feel like you're sitting in some kind of regal court, about to do the royal waltz, or eat a dinner with 20 different kinds of forks. Or, perhaps, kill your king?

If you want to hear a concrete example of what it sounds like to bite off more than one can chew, listen to "We Won't Stop". Clocking in at six minutes, it has the classic dynamic of a long, orchestral song. You've got strings, piano, drums, and voices, all trying to make harmony-but in the end, you're left with a feeling of disappointment because it just doesn't come together.

While some songs on Hannah fail to impress, The Age of Rockets show loads of potential. Someday soon, they'll achieve the epic, mystical sound that they seem to be striving for on this release. Until then, enjoy listening to the beginning stages of this promising band.