More Interviews...
Features...
Reviews...

Bryce Avary would probably not call himself a star. There is something in his music which has a humbled air about it; he is just content. But when one sits down and considers all that Bryce Avary has achieved in his 27 years it's impossible not to call him just that: a star. The Rocket Summer is his solo project, his baby and before this year Avary had previously written, produced and played all the instruments for his three EP's and three albums. 23rd of February 2010 saw the arrival of the fourth studio album 'Of Men and Angels' and this record is no exception to The Rocket Summer's brilliance.

After self-releasing his first EP in 1999 at the age of 16 under the name of The Rocket Summer, Avary doesn't seem to have stopped. 2003 saw the release of 'Calendar Days'; his first full length album, which was shortly followed by 'Hello Good Friend' in 2005, the album which gained him his first chart position in the USA. But it was the release of 2007's 'Do You Feel' which made the public sit up and take notice of the phenomenon that is The Rocket Summer.

Opening with 'Roses', 'Of Men and Angels' kicks off in a big way. Whilst The Rocket Summer are usually remembered for their softer offerings, where Avary's piano-driven talents shine, it seems 'Roses' will be a track remembered for something different; Avary's raw power on the guitar. This is followed by second track 'You Gotta Believe', first released on the 'You Gotta Believe' EP in 2009. This is a track which will be remembered for the lyrics; especially the point at which Avary screams 'I am the furthest from what you think and it is worth it.'

Some tracks on the album are reminiscent of those on the album 'Do You Feel', but there are two in particular that stand out. The first is 'Walls' which is comparable to 'Run To You' from the third studio album. Avary's voice almost has a haunting quality, but it has the power to touch you and move you in a way that you would never have expected. The final track on 'Of Men and Angels', inspiringly named 'Light' feels similar to the previous album's closer 'So, In This Hour …'. With the whole song building up to its finale, it's in this final section that the whole message of the album is embodied. Through the end of 'Light' we as listeners are able to get a sense of who Avary is, and the journey he has come on to give us this record, and thus, get this far. It may not have been an easy ride, but The Rocket Summer are here; they have arrived and they're going to be around with us for a while. 'I am yours, do what you wish, I am yours, I am yours and I know this, whatever happens next, is in your hands, in your plans, nothing less. Every day, there is a choice, and through the joy, through the pain, I will rejoice.'

Released 23rd February 2010 on Island Records.