The Daily Spin II

Rogue Wave | Asleep at Heaven's Gate

Welcome back to the Daily Spin. For the uninitiated, this is the series in which I review an album every day of 2025.

As was the case two years ago, my favorite song from each album can be found at the playlist linked here.

Album: Asleep At Heaven’s Gate (2007)

Artist: Rogue Wave

Link:

Bit out of left field here to open month three (and technically fifteen counting the first version of this series), but it kept cropping up in my Spotify-generated playlists enough that I took the hint, thank you kindly.

Rogue Wave promises big things from the off here - opener ‘Harmonium’ is six and a half minutes of dazzling space-pop, and gloriously shining ‘Lake Michigan’ lays down a devilish hammer in the four hole. Those first few songs are stellar, providing all the makings of a truly great album.

The rest of the record, however, is utterly unmemorable drivel, the sort that leaves you thinking “this was definitely not a waste of valuable time” - especially as you hit the back half. From ‘Own Your Own Home’ on, I just think the record slides and slips its way to an unsteady close - the clear best part of it being finale ‘Cheaper Than Therapy’ - but even then, it’s a lot of swings and misses. After heavy promises, it feels all the emptier.

Rating: 6/10

Best Tracks: Cheaper Than Therapy

Worst Tracks: Phonytown