Music Home / Entertainment Channel / Bullz-Eye Home

Buy your copy from Amazon.com

La Rocca: The Truth Label: Dangerbird Records) Released: 2007

I’m not sure why, but I was hesitant to dive into this record. I knew nothing about them prior to popping this release in the old CD player but I just couldn’t find the footing or the motivation to commit to it. I have a hard time with commitments. Actually, that’s not true. I’ve been with my girl since I sprouted pubes. She just doesn’t know it. I haven’t grown up a bit and boy, was I stupid as a youngster. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I pulled a dumb-ass move (i.e. skipped on this record) and you can rest assured that it won’t be the last. I do dumb shit all the time. Like that time I lit myself on fire during the great east coast blackout of 2004…or was it 2005? I was on fire, so my memory doesn’t really hold up. Take that how you will.

So, these guys could sub for Bloc Party if Bloc Party was a touch mellower. Oh, damn it. I just typed the word “mellower” and totally thought about Mallomars! Yeah, I know I’m a fat ass but holy crap. Those bad boys were delicious. If Nabisco still makes them and you feel like feeding me, please send me a box. God, how funny would it be if someone really hated my reviews and sent me a box of poison Mallomars? How would that read in the news? I’d be a martyr for Nabisco. Well, if I have to go out…

So The Truth is packed with poppy hooks and they’d probably show you a good time if you were able to catch them live. Not that kind of “good time,” you perv. The dude that produced this record also produced a slew of stuff for bands like Belle and Sebastian, Beck and Supergrass. I can totally hear the Supoergrass influence. Damn, the title track is really leaning on the Band! That’s all right, man. Take a load off Franny, indeed. Is that the lyric? (“Take a load off Fannie” – Ed.) If I don’t know now, I will probably never know. And with the next track, we totally just landed the hijacked aircraft in the U2/Coldplay airport. An abrupt shift, no doubt, but it doesn’t feel out of place. Maybe my 12-year-old-sans-Ritalin attention span is the culprit. What was I talking about?

Was that a knock on the door of influences? Yeah, it’s ELO! Wow. I just got a little too excited. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that excited about ELO. I feel a bit dirty. I’m going to go ponder this whole exchange for a minute. Then we’ll go ride bikes.