Rogue Wave: Out Of The Shadow : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

San Francisco's Rogue Wave undoubtedly possess the kind of lo-fi pop sophistication that Sub Pop Records delights in. Think the Shins minus some of the hyperactive frenzy. Rogue play straightforward California-inspired folk rock, combining breezy vocals and acoustic lilting ("Be Kind + Remind") with bubbly shakers ("Seasick on Land"), but they doesn't quite wow with originality. Although "Kicking the Heart Out" and "Endgame" forge a colorful Sixties dynamic, the end result isn't fully realized. Only on "Endless Shovel," a pulsating Brit-rocker with evident hook appeal, does the band realize its potential.