The Automatik

Geffen, 2003

At their best, Rooney sound like Jellyfish, Jason Falkner, and vintage Weezer. At their worst, they’re sugary enough to give you a toothache; too much bubblegum and not enough bittersweet.

There’s simply nothing wrong with the opening track, “Blueside” and in fact, it was hearing this song at the Virgin Megastore listening station that prompted me to buy the album. Here’s where Rooney succeed, when they offset the cotton candy harmonies with moody chords and chugging riffage. There several good songs on this debut, like “Popstars,” with its perhaps unintentionally ironic jabs at Britney and the Backstreet Boys.

And this is where the core of my discontent lies. I love bubblegum, but even Jellyfish could be saccharine when they got carried away. For me at least, musical bon-bons must possess some edginess, rawness, or even elements that seem out of place, things like Jeff McDonald’s Lennonesque rasp offsetting Redd Kross’s flawless pop instrumentation, or the wry self-deprecation of Rivers Cuomo’s lyrics on the first Weezer album.

Like Weezer and Redd Kross, Rooney utilize faux metal guitars and new wavey keyboards, but instead of appearing charmingly disarming, they feel forced and sterile (which we could just blame on producer Keith Forsey). Singer Robert Carmine has a great voice that’s equal parts mature and ing鮵e. Yet he squanders lyrical possibilities by repeating the same line over and over or crooning with too much affectation. I find myself hoping for some breakout bridges to cut the syrup, but they just aren’t there.

Don’t let my criticisms fool you; they’re purely constructive, because hidden throughout the fluff are flashes of true greatness, like most of “I’m a Terrible Person,” that melancholy chord change that pops up throughout “That Girl Has Love,” and the final track, “Losing Control” with its beautiful, sad piano and yearning vocals. That’s what we want in our pop stars, boys, a bit of world-weariness behind the smiles and the catchy melodies. Keep doing that, and you’ll have us all eating candy out of your hands.