Album Review :: The Hollowpoints :: Rocket to Rainier

Written by: Andrea Janov, CC2K Music Editor

The Hollowpoints :: Rocket to Rainier :: Sailor’s Grave Records

I have sat with this album for a bit. I listen to it again, and again, and again trying to find the right angle for the review. It is such a solid pop punk rock record. It is everything that pop punk should be fun, upbeat, aggressively catchy, and a damned good time. Each track is strong and enjoyable, yet the words weren’t quite flowing, what makes one track great is what makes the whole album great. And as awesome as that is, it is write to build a review around.

So yeah, Rocket to Rainer, is a great pop punk album, in the spirit of the late 90s early 2000s, you know when everyone was influenced by the Ramones, Screeching Weasel, with a dash of NOFX and before Fall Out Boy almost killed the genre. These songs are equally poppy and aggressive, creating a sound that you just have to sing along with and dance to.

This album reminds me what it feels like to be young. These songs are full of restless energy, going full throttle from beginning to end, almost afraid of standing still. Since all of these songs are awesome, I changed my favorite song each time I listened to the album. Sometimes it was the first track, Reptilian Way. It is smooth yet aggressive, with such a great melody and catchy chorus. Sometimes it was the title track Rocket to Rainier, a song that fits right in my favorite section of pop punk, it has great sing along sections and will get a pit moving, there are even sections that have the slightest bit of an early Strung Out sound. Cold Blade is also a contender, the layered vocals make me want to sing along instantly and go find the nearest pit.

The last three songs add a bit of variance to the album. Can’t Feel at All has moments of staccato cadence over a heavy drum beat that adds something a bit different than the rest of the album. Dust Collects has a strong indie pop influence and Salt has creepy 80s new wave sound to it.

Have a listen for yourself, Sharkwolf, Cotton Fever, and Coldblade are all streaming.