A Rocket To The Moon Review
I’m a big fan of one man bands because more often than not, they get it right the first go around. A Rocket To The Moon is a pop-punk/electronica band fronted by sole member Nick Santino and he got it right. Unlike a lot of other solo projects, Nick doesn’t play a wide variety of instruments, not that he lacks the talent, but because his music relies almost exclusively on his ability to work with synths. His talent to compose, sequence, and produce catchy, care-free pop-rock makes him a talent worth noting.
Santino is not very well known, though he does rock a pretty solid fan base. He has made great strides in his career including his upcoming appearance at Bamboozle, a huge two day music festival located in New Jersey that showcases some of North America’s hottest pop-rock bands. A Rocket To The Moon is a unique pop-punk/electronica fusion because Nick opts for the slower jams rather than the dance-rock alternative. This gives listeners an inspiring, feel-good listen that keeps you lucid, entertained and craving for more.
I can’t praise Santino’s vocals, because it’s often masked with synths, nor his instrumental skills, because they are very simple guitar and keyboard riffs. But I will rave about his ability to compose some of the most fun, touching and catchy beats I’ve heard recently. Santino has shown natural talent and an ear for music. The synths he uses are not to cover up a lack of talent, at least not in my opinion, but to complement his simple down to earth style of playing. Everything meshes to precision, and though I don’t doubt he has great live talents, it simply isn’t necessary for his style of music.
Although there are about a dozen or so songs of his spanned across the internet, it is difficult to find any full EPs. As such I’ve had the opportunity to listen to a mix of his old demos with his new work, and am impressed by all his songs. The two most notable for me, is his new demo Fear of Flying, and a song off of his Summer 07 EP, Baby We’re Invincible. Baby We’re Invincible shows a lot of the synthetic sounds he uses to create emotionally-driven music that is both relaxing and soulful. Fear Of Flying, tones down the synths and uses natural vocals and a more prominent acoustic guitar role. At the same time, it provides a very modern power pop song, that’s moving and catchy.
Nick Santino and A Rocket To The Moon are not fully developed, and you can tell from listening to them. But I’m hard pressed to find anything that will prevent this guy from making it big; he’s got the sound, the soul, and the inspiration to do great things. Especially after listening to his most recent work, we find that he can break away from his bread and butter, synthetically driven melodies, and still produce a refined, refreshing power pop hit. Although it is the synths that has made him a myspace hit, Santino look’s to have a variety of tricks up his sleeves and I can’t wait for a future album.
Check out their Myspace for official tour dates and further streams.
A Rocket To The Moon – Baby We’re Invincible
A Rocket To The Moon – Fear Of Flying
Thank you.
I needed a new find, and this is it