Rocquette

13

Written by: PP on 11/08/2011 02:58:45

I don't know how seriously one can ever take a band who is fronted by a female singer who goes by the pseudonym 'Barbie Hardrock', but then again, it was always hard to take Garbage seriously because of their band name. That, however, is ultimately going to be the biggest stumbling stone for Austria-based rock act Rocquette, who released a new album called "13" earlier this year.

Well, that, and the fact that Rocquette's expression lacks urgency and relevancy almost entirely throughout the album. It's one thing to reference Garbage and Hole, even *gasp* Avril Lavigne on a number of songs, but what the former two had going for them, Rocquette is missing in large quantities. And that key ingredient is attitude. Despite the hard rock-influenced rock'n'roll riffs or the Hole-inspired Malibu-rock of "Mexico Song", there aren't many moments on the record where Rocquette's female singer brings enough attitude to sound convincing or interesting. The songs are passable alt rock meets rock'n'roll pieces in their own right, but when they feel like alternative rock on cruise control, not much good is going to come out of it.

Another way to put it is to say that the listener hardly ever feels like the music grabs him. Much of this can be contributed to the unambitious, retrospective songwriting that both sounds and feels dated and uninspired in 2011, resulting in songs that are neither catchy nor technically fascinating. As a result, Rocquette have released an album that's easy to dismiss as a below average release even within its own style.

Download: Mexico Song
For the fans of: Garbage, Hole
Listen: Soundcloud

Release date February 2011
Self-Released

02 Mexico Song by Rocquette

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