Reviewed by Juan Zambrano
White Elephant Orchestra’s escapist anthem Rocket Ship builds itself from sparse arrangements, blasting off into a catchy and liberating chorus. It is a fun sonic reprieve from the gloom of the modern world.
Rocket Ship is a song that mirrors the trajectory of the eponymous space craft, in both music and lyrics. It opens on a slow, somber electronic beat, fronted by lyrics and vocals which paint a world where “even the radio waves can’t reach the shore.” Even when being pulled down by earth’s gravity, a spark persists in the form of a single hopefully quiet synthesizer note.
The musical space craft gains steam as the song progresses. The lyrics tell of a desire for escape, an ethereally subtle synth chord builds over the solitary chord and the initially hushed vocals gain volume and confidence. The backing track then slows to a halt, as the protagonist brings the verse to a close and the countdown to liftoff reaches the number 1.
For Rocket Ship, liftoff comes in its chorus. The synthesizers which provided a spark of hope throughout the verse now take centre stage, accompanied by the loop of a drum machine. The vocals and lyrics are also at their most upbeat, encouraging listeners to join in chanting about the need to build a rocket ship, “just to get away from it.” A slightly danceable rhythm is also implemented, courtesy of the drum machine. The chorus comes to an end, as the protagonist’s request to be taken off world echoes across the void of space.
The low opening beat returns for the second verse, this time invoking bliss rather than dread. The drum machine from the chorus stays for the verse and the synthesizers remain prominent. The protagonist is joined by an airy female voice, as he confidently muses on the passenger’s just and peaceful trip across space. One final party begins aboard the ship with the second chorus. This time a xylophone joins the fray. There is a bittersweet undercurrent to this final hurrah. This is emphasized by the protagonist ultimately quietly admitting such an escape would be wonderful, “even for a day.”
White Elephant Orchestra is the name behind this electropop escape. The New York based art pop project is the brainchild of Toronto’s Andy Stochansky. Stochansky is the composer, vocalist, lyricist and producer on Rocket Ship, as well as White Elephant Orchestra’s upcoming album, Debut.
Stochansky is joined on the album by Lola Stone-Fox and Martina Sorbara on backing vocals, while engineer Dave Pensado mixes the tracks. If Rocket Ship is any indication, Debut looks to be a fun opening act for Andy Stochansky’s latest musical venture.
