Published on Mar 23, 2000
Rockapella is a band you’ve probably heard, even if you haven’t
heard of them. Anyone who has endured the plethora of commercials
on American television has seen this a capella quintet appear in
commercials for Folger’s coffee. (They’ve also been the “house
band” for the TV show
Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?)
But for all the success they’ve had worldwide, they are just
about to release only their second album in America – aptly named
Rockapella 2. Although these guys are hardly the next thing
in boy bands (they’ve been together since 1987), they have the
sound and magic that rivals any of the bands out there today – and
this could well be the time for their star to rise, especially with
such a strong album.
The group – Barry Karl, Elliott Kerman, Scott Leonard, Jeff
Thacher and Kevin Wright – brings back memories of many different
artists. Rhythmically, I can hear tinges of Bobby McFerrin in the
vocal percussion department. Vocally, you can hear the influences
of groups like Boyz II Men and the Backstreet Boys, even though
Rockapella very much has their own sound that comes through
clearly. But the pop sensibility is there, as heard on the lead
single “Tempted” (yes, a cover of the Squeeze classic).
The true magic on
Rockapella 2 isn’t in the Squeeze cover, though. Instead,
it’s found on several other tracks, such as “Doorman Of My Heart”
(which almost has a comical calypso beat to it), “Bring Some Love”
(which should be the next single, if I could call it) and “This
Isn’t Love”. In fact, of the 11 full-length tracks featured here,
there is barely a lemon to be seen or heard. There’s a minor slip
at the start of the album, which doesn’t quite get off as smoothly
as they would have liked on “That’s The Way”. Fortunately,
Rockapella quickly recovers and is able to salvage the track.
What strikes me about
Rockapella 2 is that it’s a fun disc to listen to – and it
shows people that you don’t necessarily need electric guitars and
pounding drums to lay down a solid beat. (It does sound at times
like some type of a beat box is being used, although the liner
notes assure the listener that everything you hear comes from the
band members themselves.)
The one question I have about this disc: why include the two
Folger’s jingles? I guess there’s a kitsch value, but they really
don’t add too much to the disc itself. It’s not that big of a deal,
though – I mean, we’re talking about 78 seconds worth of material,
hardly anything for me to bust a vein about.
Rockapella 2 is a disc that undoubtedly proves the talent of
this group, and they could well give some of the boy bands out
there a run for their money if they’re given a fighting chance in
the marketplace. Pick it up. Give it a chance. You’ll be surprised
how quickly you get sucked in to their world – and you won’t want
to leave.