If you enjoy and appreciate good music buy this CD. Is it like anything else out there today? Maybe. Or maybe not. Bottom line is this: Rogue Wave is great.

I'm not sure who I'd compare them to in sound..They make pleasant, spare pop songs with just a touch of alt-country at times.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Postage Stamp World" is one of the rare ones where the hook sticks with you for awhile. It's alt-countryish..maybe a little reminiscent of Wilco. The refrain of "you can all get in line/to lick my behind" is catchy. "Kicking the Heart Out" has a pretty good hook, but I find myself wondering how good it would sound fully produced. A gurgling keyboard underscores the ballad "Endgame" as Zach Rogue croons "nothing else matters". Unfortunately, there's a whole bunch of tacked-on noise at the end...apparently to keep it all "underground" sounding. Bleah.

LOWS:
"Endless Shovel" displays the right SOUND for the band..it's a nifty thickly produced pop gem. But where's the singalong hook? If they can find a way to marry this type of music with the type of craft in the lyric to "Postage Stamp World", they'd be onto something.

BOTTOM LINE:
It sounds like they have the germ of a good power pop band in there if they'd ever decide to thicken up the sound and write a little better hooks. As it is, they're a fairly average band. Pleasant and hummable, but nothing that makes me want to shout their praises. Definitely listen to the samples first before clicking the "BUY THIS" button.

I loved this disc. Great catchy songs, great harmonies, good vibe through and through. I'm anxious to hear more from these guys. In a day and age when it takes so much for a new album to really keep your interest this is a great one to check out.

Strong points: moody acoustic-inclined pieces like "Postage Stamp World," "Every Moment" (although the sheer acoustic version of this song exists on the Napoleon Dynamite soundtrack)and "Falcon Settles Me" . These tunes are topped with really well penned lyrics; eloquent without becoming esoteric.

Weak points: Rogue Wave's up-tempo songs like "Nourishment Nation" and "Seasick On Land" tend to lose me. I would not say these songs are terrible, but when lined up alongside beautiful tracks like "Every Moment" and "Postage Stamp World," they stick out like a sore thumb. The moody Rogue Wave tunes have great emotion, and are a hard act to follow.

Bottom line? I really enjoy Rogue Wave's first release, and hope they stick around for a long time. If they improve even just a little with each release, I think we're in for some of the greatest albums in a few years. I have little doubt these guys are up for lots of critical acclaim... and I hope the CD buying public follows suit!

amazing debut. in my opinion, BETTER than the Shins. saw them live - they revamped songs to be different & JUST AS cool. they also played 4-5 new ones and if your a fan, you wont be disappointed on their next offering.