Losing Breath is a Breath of Fresh Air
It seems fitting that a band called Rocket is blowing me away this close to Independence Day. Sure, here in the good ol’ U S of A there are still plenty of people lighting fireworks at all hours of the night but this band is the only Rocket I’m trying to hear right now. Their latest single Losing Breath is a polished radio-ready snapshot of the shitshow that this year has been.
Rocket has had some heavy rotation on LA rock radio including the legendary KROQ. They were featured on the LA date of the Make America Rock Again tour, which included some of the biggest names in radio rock from the early 2000s. Honestly, as far as pop punk and alt-rock go, their pedigree couldn’t get much better. One listen to their latest single will show you exactly why they’ve been grabbing the attention of magazines, DJs, and fans.
My Initial Impression
Even though I’m pretty familiar with pop punk and alternative rock as genres I didn’t know what to expect going into this track. Over the past few years alt-rock has gotten pretty iffy to put it mildly. The closest to pop punk I go is the first few Ramones records; I really didn’t know what I was getting into. Losing Breath was like a blast from a distant past, though.
The guitars are heavy, the groove is tight, and the vocals are absolutely stellar. This feels like a track that would have crushed the airwaves in the mid 2000s. The lyrics, though, are firmly rooted in today’s America. It’s all about the pandemic, the protests, and the POTUS. Losing Breath is a summary of 2020 wrapped in glass smooth production by a group who work like a well oiled machine.
The Instrumentation
Losing Breath is an incredibly tight and well-mixed track. Everybody in the band is definitely on their A-game here. Rocket’s rhythm section is rock-solid; the groove on this track is undeniable. I’ve had Losing Breath on repeat for awhile now and still can’t help but move to it. The guitar work on this track is next-level, though. One of the reasons I’m not a huge fan of modern alt-rock is the boring guitar work and utter lack of solos. The riffs in this track are catchy as hell. I don’t know what’s going to be stuck in my head longer, the vocals on the chorus or the main riff. There’s even a killer 30+ second solo that sounds like it has its roots planted firmly in 80s Bay- area metal. In short, Losing Breath has some of the best musicianship you’re going to hear on new rock radio today.
The Vocals
Rocket’s vocalist, Janelle Barreto, has some seriously impressive range. On Losing Breath she effortlessly moves from pretty standard clean vocals to an angry snarl and circles back around to something bordering on crooning. There are ever a couple whoa-whoas. I like whoa-whoas. Bar none, though, my favorite part of this track comes in the first couple lines of the second verse. Without any warning, Barreto shifts from her baseline vocal performance into an emotional voice-cracking scream and right back. This unexpected injection of emotion is the high point of an already great track.
All in All…
All in all would I recommend this track? Hell yeah I would. There is a reason Rocket is getting so much attention in the LA rock scene and it’s about time the rest of the nation takes notice as well. It’s a solid track about the current situation but it isn’t preachy; it’s a rock song not a lecture. Sure it’s written about hard times but it’s still a fun track with some great musicianship and vocals. You can check out this track and others on Spotify right now.