When Rooney started off, they were really a hot ticket. Fronted by Jason Schwartzman’s little brother, the band drew obvious comparisons to Phantom Planet. However, after their 2003 Ric Ocasek produced debut album, the band dropped off the map completely. 2007’s Calling the World fulfilled the sophomore slump jinx receiving mediocre reviews. The flaw seemed to be that the band dropped their sunny Californian sound in lieu of a more classic rock driven sound, highly influenced by the Styx and ELO. On their latest single “I Don’t Wanna Lose You”, it seems Rooney has returned to their roots. The song is the classic Weezer-esque sound that got Rooney famous to begin with. Check it out.
MP3: Rooney “I Don’t Wanna Lose You”