HeyRocco – Teenage Movie Soundtrack (Out June 8th 2015 via Vital Music Group)

HeyRocco, are an earnest mash of grunge come bubble-gum pop, not as dark as Happyness or as broken as Valentiine, but still with a heavier dose of angst that bursts the bubble-gum sugar on on most songs, thankfully. The band’s debut ‘Teenage Movie Soundtrack’ is said to owe “as much to the A-List radio airwaves as it does to the grimy basements in which these tracks were written.” Unfortunately at just 10 tracks, methinks the debut full length has still arrived perhaps too early, certainly early-door comparisons to the likes of Nirvana and The Cure are just totally rubbish, HeyRocco’s sound is just too light, on firmer ground I’m thinking that the trio share similar space to Weezer than anything heavier. The band are Nathan (Guitar and Vocals), along with Chris Cool (Bass, and yes, that’s real name) and Tanner ‘Taco’ Cooper first plugged-in the amps in their parents’ garages five years ago in South Carolina and were soon touring across the United States in their beaten up old van.

First impression ‘Loser Denial’ which opens the debut, reveals a positive happy outlook, under-pinned with a good sounding guitar part rescuing ‘Loser Denial’ from being just another also ran pop song. Still the more emotionally fueled ‘Melt’ works well. Before ‘Elsewhere’ cries out healthy alt-rock. ‘What It’s Like’ sounds fine and ‘Virgin’ helps concrete the gritty tag, with suitable big sounding / repeat vocal refrains. There is even a bonus track complete with fatalistic relationship ditty, ‘Santa Fe’.

HeyRocco have done well with ‘Teenage Movie Soundtrack’ don’t get me wrong, just like I’d like them to hear at least two albums by Screaming Trees, and really feel the darker  and even boredom of their non-stop battered van adventures across many states and the odd time zone. But for a new  post-grunge age, I might be talking bollocks, but I just want more gravity, more emotion, for all that, Hey Rocco do process talent, ‘Teenage Movie Soundtrack’ has merit. 7.6/10
Steve Janes

Watch ‘Elsewhere’ video