Music Review

A Rocket to the Moon’s On Your Side

Track Listing:

Annabelle

Mr. Right

She’s Killing Me

On A Lonely Night

Dakota

Life Of The Party

Like We Used To

Where Did You Go?

Sometimes

Baby Blue Eyes

Give A Damn

On Your Side

As Valentine’s Day comes and goes the chocolates and roses will as well, but something just as sweet won’t be so easily passed over. A Rocket to the Moon’s latest album On Your Side expresses their love through electronica pop with melodic lyrics and a penchant for the romantic. Nick Santino, the creater of A Rocket to the Moon, sings to two girls, tenderly towards “Dakota” and bitterly for “Annabelle.” He collaborates with guitarist Justin Richards, bassist Eric Halvorsen and former The Receiving End Of Sirens drummer Andrew Cook and also enlisted Matt Squire to produce the full-length. While most consider radio rock to be a limiting factor with the quality of the music, Santino expresses that the radio only serves as an opportunity to produce anything heartfelt.

What develops shows both the maturity of the band and their craftsmanship of honest love songs. “Sometimes” juxtaposes a solid electronic beat to the chant of “Everybody needs somebody sometimes” while “Like We Used To” slows down to let the sincerity ring out. The starting track, “Annabelle”, sets a fast pace and shows A Rocket to the Moon’s confidence as a collaboration.

On Your Side’s sweet romance with pop and electronic rock is a sweet trade and refreshingly so. What started as a solo project (Santino) has quickly grown into the strong quartet that recently graced the Chicago House of Blues on the Take Action Tour alongside We The Kings, Mayday Parade, Therefore Tomorrow and Call the Cops. Santino has gathered a strong following and now A Rocket to the Moon is satisfying sweet teeth everywhere.