Rocket Science – Eternal Holiday Review

They must love their retro-rock in Australia. The country/continent that has brought us Men At Work, Silverchair, and Yahoo Serious have imparted some of the leaders of the new rock revival, including the Vines, the Datsuns, and Jet. The problem is they all suck. To be fair, it’s also the home of AC/DC, so they have the right to release derivative garbage.

Hailing from Melbourne, Rocket Science is another tousled hair, pseudo-sleazy, five o’clock shadowed group that wants to bring the real “rock” to the masses. Based off a strong word of mouth (due to a destructive live show and several high profile fans) there is a renewed push for Eternal Holiday to succeed where Contact High, and Run Like a Gun failed. The result is a swirling confluence of garage and psychadelica that isn’t by the numbers, but still uninspiring.

One thing Rocket Science does is evoking 60’s pop harmonies very well. It is ironic that so few retro-rock acts actually incorporate what was a crucial element to the genre’s success all of those years ago. Also, there is an emphasis on organ that gives the songs a danceable quality while still playing close to the rock sleeve

Jim Diamond, of neo-garage icons the Dirtbombs, is behind the boards, seemingly to put their live energy on record. The result is hit or miss. “Modern Life” is a destructive roller-derby anthem built around a heavy, circular guitar riff. The production is a little too clean at times, however, for a band that prides itself on its live and garage roots. The fuzzed-out bass on “Sex Call” or the keyboard on “Dressed to Kill,” both good songs, are a little too crisp and detract from the album’s aims.

The beauty of the Dirtbombs is while people are decoding what came from where, they rip through another song. Rocket Science are a little too self conscious for their own good. The Dirtbombs don’t give a shit, and Rocket Science does, and that makes all the difference.

“Pop Song” is a good example. Buoyed by fast pace bass/guitar rhythm, Tucker does his best Iggy Pop, groaning to great effect. Then it breaks down into the worn out “do do do do” bridge, realizing that they don’t know a good thing when they have it in their hands. If there is one specific problem with Eternal Holiday is that is that it doesn’t know what it wants to be. While it does have heavy-handed allusions to Radio Birdman, Alice Cooper, or anything on the Dazed and Confused soundtrack, it never comes together. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. This music isn’t for people who actually lived in the 70’s, but for people who grew up on “That 70’s Show.”