Rogue Wave - Out Of the Shadow

Do you like Sub Pop artists? Great. Do you listen to Wilco because all your hipster friends do? Fantastic. Did you totally start loving the Shins after seeing the movie Garden State three times? Excellent. If this describes you, Rogue Wave is a band that has been genetically designed for your enjoyment. The harmonized vocals, careful acoustic guitars (especially on “Seasick on Land”) make it hard for Rogue Wave not to be cast off as a poor man’s version of their more mainstream labelmates, the Shins. Of course, sounding like the Shins is not a put down. Really, the most striking thing about Out of the Shadow is its blatant unremarkableness. Sure, these days it is hard to find honest music with pleasant chord changes, thoughtful lyrics and a pleasant hook, but I think we will sooner find this album in triplicate in a used cd store than on a year-end best-of list. [www.roguewavemusic.com]