SHREDnews

The new, do-it-yourself music industry has given way to major electronic acts like Owl City. However, there is a lower tier of electronic artists on Myspace that are starting to gain serious momentum. Among them is Romance On A Rocketship, the one-man project of Kasey Smith. Previously, Smith was a member of Here I Come Falling and, more recently, Agraceful. Since 2009, the Missouri-native’s main focus has been on Romance On A Rocketship. Managed by The Artery Foundation, Smith reaches his audience primarily on MySpace, and with over five million plays, he certainly seems to have their attention.

The music of Romance On A Rocketship can be described as fun, listenable, radio-friendly synth-pop. In his lyrics, Smith is either pleading with girls to be his, or is declaring his love for them with quirky lines like “you’ve got a way of making me feel like a little kid lost in the city”. The songs are obviously not lyric-driven, but melody and beat-driven.  The highly compressed, auto-tuned vocals and four-on-the floor beats will keep listeners singing and tapping along. Smith includes just enough electric guitar, keyboard and live drum kit samples to hint at a real band sound when necessary. The music sounds tight, but surprisingly not over-produced. Unlike Ke$ha or 3OH!3, there are less bells and whistles to distract you from the essence of the songs.

When Romance On A Rocketship performs live, Smith plays guitar and is backed up by a traditional band setup. This makes for an interesting show; fans get to hear their favorite songs with a substantially different arrangement.

I would be remiss in my review if I didn’t mention anything about his style, because the look of Romance On A Rocketship is crucial to the band’s identity. Smith’s wild, curly afro and big goofy sunglasses are iconic, and the tattoo of the word “grace” on his chest is often a topic of conversation among fans.

Kasey Smith has arrived right in time for the pop/electronic craze. His clever songwriting and impressive production skills are bound to captivate millions of teenage girls and boys (in that order). If you like discovering bands before they blow up, you should check out Romance On A Rocketship ASAP.

For Fans Of: Owl City, Swimming With Dolphins, Forever The Sickest Kids

Notable Tracks: Miss Magazine, Skin and Bones, The Scientist (Coldplay cover)