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Wave to the Moon, the first full length album from Long Island, New York native Aeroplane Pageant, is a collection of alt rock songs that are destined to be as classic as the style the album emulates.
The childhood friends bound together in 2005, determined to make it professionally, and worked long and hard to release the EP He is Fire within a year. It's four infectious tracks quickly garnered attention from the New York film community, Unitshifter Films and Halo Entertainment in particular. "Kind as Killers" was chosen to back the end credits in Beer: The Movie and "The Air Went Pink" was added to the Beer: The Movie II soundtrack. "How Distant" (also from He is Fire) was featured in Scorpions and Frogs and Missing Girl.
That previous success laid the groundwork for this full length album that at times seems like a throwback to the styling of the Beatles and similar groups, especially on "Oh You Know." A hook laden chorus and poetically structured verses are backed with an infectious melody that is a delightful mix of pop and alt rock. It's just the type of combination that finds a way into you sub-conscious. You will find yourself mindlessly singing the lyrics or humming the tune long after the album has finished playing.
It's a formula they stick pretty close to throughout the course of the album and the end result is a collection rock-hard tunes. The only deviations come in the form of harmonic ballads, the best examples of which open and close the album.
"All the Days" opens the 10 track disc with a soft receptive melody that gives way to just as wispy harmonies. If I were to complain about anything, it would be the monotonous looped drum and chord progression. Over and over the up and down pattern replicates itself and the lyrics, which are above average, tend to get lost in the music. It is as if that pattern is the hook that locks the song in your memory. Personally, I'd rather be hooked by a strong verse/chorus combination. "All the Days" does have that strong verse and chorus, but it's overshadowed by what I find to be the weaker music.
In contrast, the album closer "New Parade" is a strong harmonic ballad-like track. It's too mellow to be called "upbeat" it is upbeat enough to not fit the typical ballad mold either, but it is strong alt rock. Strings and keys mix well with the vocals to produce something that is pleasing to the ear, not because any one part is done extremely well, but because the way all the puzzle pieces fit together. The vocals, the instrumentation, and the structure of both are solid.
With Wave to the Moon, Aeroplane Pageant continues to demonstrate they are in this for the long haul, laying the foundation for what promises to be a long career. They possess the talent and drive and with time and experience can only move upward. Check out streaming MP3 from Wave to the Moon at their Myspace profile. Check out their website for news and information.
