steering clear of the mainstream
since 2001

june 2010

review
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info opinion

Rocketship Park

"Off and Away" CD

Serious Business Records

Genre: Americana, alt country

Aug 26 2008

Josh Kaufman and his friends comprise Rocketship Park, a lush, New York based pop band with a keen eye for infectious, Americana-steeped songs. What they lack in chutzpah, they make up for in elegance; unlike other releases from the same label, this clearly isn't an album to rock out to - instead, it's a relaxing and comforting ride perfectly designed for winter evenings at home.

Personally, I would have liked Off and Away to be a tad crisper than it is from a production standpoint. Although on one hand these songs exude a loose, relaxed vibe, many of the songs might have sounded more confident and initially appealing had the instruments been coordinated in a more rhythmically taut manner. Regardless, these ten tunes are not without merit. Two of the most memorable tracks are "Loser's Lament," an infectious country number drenched in drooping pedal steel, and the Joel Plaskett-esque title track. Also pleasant are lyrical weep-a-thon "Drinkin' Buddy" and quaint acoustic number "Sweet Nobody."

A hefty extended family of contributors makes Off and Away a relatively busy release, yet these songs still maintain a consistent vibe throughout. That isn't to say that the record is homogeneous - only that Rocketship Park retains a distinct sound through these ten songs. As such, this record is a cohesive whole that is quite pleasing to the ear. Not an earthshaking addition to the Americana/alt-country canon, Off and Away will be a charming find for fans of the genre.

rocketship park's myspace

79%

Matt Shimmer

[Vitals: 10 tracks, distributed by the label, released April 8 2008]