Rogue Wave Entertainment Art "Asleep at Heaven’s Gate" (Brushfire Records) Released September 18, 2007

The new Asleep at Heaven’s Gate (released on singer/songwriter Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records) finds Rogue Wave considerably more polished than it was during its Sub Pop heyday, trading the relative intimacy of 2005’s Descended Like Vultures for something aimed squarely at the masses.

Opening cut “Harmonium” throws shards of Sex Pistols-inspired guitar onto the pavement before going to town with grandiose piano and mile-wide hooks. “Chicago x 12” comes on warm, affable and just a touch overproduced before reaching a satisfyingly noisy coda. “Lullaby” wears its Built to Spill influence a little too proudly even as it shines Doug Martsch’s tarnished guitar to a silvery finish. “Missed” is a real anomaly, harkening back to Rogue’s lo-fi roots, while “Fantasies” borrows heavily from The Shins to no good end. The album-closing “Cheaper Than Therapy” is the only standout track: a dark, Beatles-inspired gem that comes too late in the game to save the album from mediocrity.

Asleep at Heaven’s Gate is Rogue Wave’s bid for mainstream success. And while the iPod shufflers out there might just make this a hit, the album sounds a bit calculated to critical ears.

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