ROCKET REACHES THE MOON WITH NEW ALBUM ‘R IS FOR ROCKET’
If you’ve ever wanted to follow a band before they launch into well-deserved stardom, Rocket is your ticket to the moon. Hot on the heels of opening for The Smashing Pumpkins throughout their 2025 tour, the LA-based band released their debut album R is for Rocket on October 3rd, and it’s clear the only direction for them is up. They’re a core part of the 90s revival movement, and each track off the album sounds like something you’d find on a burnt CD in your parents’ garage (in the best way possible!).
In a promotional interview with Clash, the band describes the album as being “about relationships, the most important part of life; relationships with your friends, your parents, your girlfriend or boyfriend, and most importantly your relationship with yourself”. This mission is clear throughout the album, with each song exploring new depths and inner complexities of how we connect with those around us, but more importantly, ourselves.
The album opens with “Your Choice”, and despite initially starting with a grainy harmonization between looping vocals and faint instruments, the song quickly transitions into a harsh drum beat and repetitive guitar riff, seemingly waiting for lead singer and bassist Alithea Tuttle's words to fall into place alongside them. With the band’s statement about the album in mind, it’s clear “Your Choice” is about the relationship with a partner, especially one that’s not going well. Lyrics like “all these nightmares in my head are about you, and now you’re in my bed” evoke a sense of dread towards the subject, and a subtle dissonance in the repetition of “bed” helps to keep the listener unsettled. The last minute of the song breaks into strident instrumentals before fading out, paving the way for the next song.
“Act Like Your Title” , the album’s second track, is a lot more melodic than the previous song, but manages to sustain the biting edge that Rocket has come to be known for. Initially released as a single, the band described the song to their label, Transgressive, as being about “familial relationships and generational traumas. It’s wishing someone would live up to the standards that are set for them, but knowing that they will never “act like their title.” The lighter sound, to the band’s standards, paired with the meaning of the song, is jarring and is only further accentuated by Baron Rinzler and Desi Scaglione's signature fuzzy guitar tone.
Reminiscent of the intro to “My Hero” by the Foo Fighters, “Crossing Fingers” comes in fast and hot, with drummer Cooper Ladomade’s crash cymbals shining through the layers of guitar and bass. The song has the 90s shoegaze movement's stamp of approval: somehow simultaneously gritty and soft. It’s another song about the relationship with those around you, and with poignant lyrics such as “I don’t wanna change for you” and “you’re sacrificing years for a second of doubt”, the song seemingly focusing on feelings of personal inadequacy in comparison to the pressures of those you surround yourself with. The next track, “One Million” is similarly about struggles in relationships, but this time, it’s about the treatment one receives from others. The song’s angsty lyrics are only further accentuated by an overdriven guitar that seems to drive the meaning home. Tuttle knows how this relationship will end: with her waiting. Is it wrong to still want to try?
“Another Second Chance” is the second-longest track on the album, clocking in at over five minutes. The runtime isn’t in vain, though, and the song is used as “an ode to never feeling good enough”, according to Tuttle in another interview promoting the album. “Another Second Chance” stands out as one of the most lyrically driven songs on the album, this time allowing for the words to shine over the instrumentals. Don’t think of the instrumentals as if they’ve taken the back seat, though; it’s more like they’ve gotten a passenger’s brake, still significantly in control. “I wanna be the one that makes it out of your dreams” is repeated towards the end of the song, emphasizing the desire to want to be good enough, the version of you that you can only dream about being.
“Pretending” is about a relationship gone sour and the amount of “pretending” the victim has to do in order to make themself believe that everything is okay. Soaked in venom, the lyrics are poised and sharp as they describe someone who realizes that the turmoil in their relationship isn’t their fault. Similarly, inspired by feelings of existential doubt in relationships, “Crazy” is heavily based in the repetition of its title, with Tuttle both stating and asking if her relationship is “crazy”. The lyrics based in insecurity are reflected by the instrumentals, which switch between being hectic and organized at the drop of a hat.
“Number One Fan” contradicts the distorted guitar that listeners have become accustomed to, instead opting for an acoustic arrangement (although the electric guitar returns later!). Pervasive sounds of wind blow throughout the entire song, inviting a feeling of cold melancholy that’s only accentuated by the organ-like synth that echoes between lyrical phrasings. It’s a standout song, one of five the band hadn’t previously released as a single, and a completely pleasant surprise (it quickly became my favorite song on the album, and I’ve proudly watched it climb Rocket’s most-streamed songs on Spotify). Next, opening with what sounds like a low-flying jet pierced by a guitar squeal, “Wide Awake” wastes no time making itself at home as the penultimate track on the album. A subtle dissonance takes the reins of the song, making it eerie and anxiety-inducing, while the timing of the lyrics helps to create a feeling of panic.
“R is for Rocket”—which carries the honor of being the tenth and final song as well as the album’s title track- switches up Rocket’s formula and opens with a warm, rounded bass before the rest of the instruments and vocals follow suit. Although many of the other songs in the album are about the mistakes those around us make, “R is for Rocket” is Tuttle’s way of taking accountability for her actions that’ve hurt others, demonstrated through lyrics such as “I could guess it's a mess I made/And I'll be here to wipe your tears/So sorry that I let you off". Despite still carrying a dark subject matter like the rest of the album’s songs, “R is for Rocket” is a breath of relief as the focus is shifted inwards, seemingly alleviating the listener of the grief they’ve accumulated throughout the album as they’re forced to grapple with mistakes that they’ve made. It’s the longest song on the album, and it closes it on a high note.
R is for Rocket is a triumphant first album after four years of singles and EPs since Rocket’s formation in 2021. It’s an emotionally charged release, and it’s clear the band has great things on its horizon. Rocket will be touring the United States in support of the album this fall, with shows announced through their Instagram.