Rooney
Calling the World
(Geffen)
Rooney’s 2003 eponymous debut made a splash in the pop-rock pool thanks in part to the great guilty pleasure that was The OC. The band’s sophomore release may be an uphill battle, as they took four years to prep the disc and unleash it upon the world. While not a horrible atrocity, it is far from a classic pop-rock gem that would be worthy of earlier comparisons to Weezer or even The Cars—it’s simply devoid of any true personality and fails to leave the remotest impression. Calling the World demonstrates that Rooney has opted to play it safe, so safe that the sophomore jinx couldn’t even be bothered to place itself on this album.
Trevor Savory
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2007.