Mocking Love Out of Nothing at All

As the year has progressed, several great singles and EPs have been released for which I have written reviews or should have written reviews.  I’ve waited for many of these bands to go ahead and release new full length albums before offering my thoughts, but several have not yet materialized.  So, over the next week or two, I hope to share my enthusiasm for some great singles that have come along during 2014 that I’ve neglected to share.

Gentlemen Rogues

“Mocking Love Out of Nothing at All” 7”

(Shifting Sounds)

Here’s an Austin, Texas four piece that I was introduced to earlier this year via their bassist, Brandon Tucker, who is also a member of Magnet School, who I raved about last year with their digital single “Fur & Velvet” – a Swervedriver-esque massive rocker (#26 pick for 2013).  Gentlemen Rogues is an entirely different beast, but one that is equally intriguing.  Instead of bringing back fond memories of the UK bands from the early 90s, on this single the Rogues bring back the fiery yet thoughtful US styled power pop much like the band they cover on this singles’ B-side, Buffalo Tom.

First of all, I do have to lodge a small complaint; the A-side original here is titled “Mocking Love Out of Nothing at All,” presumably a take off on the horrific Air Supply song from the early 80s.  This is a road that should not be explored.  However, having said that, the song itself is excellent!  It is absolutely jammed with vibrant energy and big twists and turns that carry us on an exciting rollercoaster, much like the tumultuous Get Up Kids single “10 Minutes” on Sub Pop Records a long time ago.  The mid-tempo power chords that open the song belie the surge that comes, as the song seems to step up the intensity as the song progresses.  Plus the chorus is a wide open pay off that feels like a breath of fresh air.  And, I have to say that hearing this kind of music again - good old fashioned “college rock” – is fun, because for some reason it fell by the wayside for some time, despite being pretty universally easy to like.

As mentioned earlier, the B-side is a very straight forward cover of Buffalo Tom’s 1992 song “Mountains of Your Head” (from their amazing third and probably their best LP Let Me Come Over), but somehow infused with just a little bit extra noise and speed - just enough, that is, to make this a worthy cover.

It looks like the Gentlemen Rogues are soon set to release their debut album, so we can only hope that this single is a sneak peek into what kind of goodness is to come.

(gentlemenroguesmusic.com)