The Rocket Summer

You Gotta Believe EP

Two years removed from his major-label debut, Do You Feel?, Bryce Avary–the mastermind behind pop-rock act the Rocket Summer–hasn’t changed his approach much. That’s a good thing: This four-song digital EP of all-new material is exactly what you’d expect from Avary, packed with soulful vocals, easily digestible choruses and inspirational, occasionally spiritual lyrics intended to uplift the listener. The piano-guided “Hills And Valleys” is a highlight (and that fuzz bass in the last chorus is downright perfect). Closing track “The Fight” also relies on Avary’s considerable piano skills, and has a great string-assisted bridge that demonstrates how good the frontman is at song arrangements. The only downside to You Gotta Believe is that at four songs, there isn’t a lot of room for experimentation or style/mood variation, and as such all four tracks carry the same uptempo vibe. The plus side is, it has us pretty flippin’ excited for Avary’s new album, Of Men And Angels, due early next year.

GO DOWNLOAD: “Hills And Valleys”

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