Energetic singer-songwriter Bryce Avary (known as The Rocket Summer) is releasing his third full length album Do You Feel, which comes as his major label debut on Island.  At 16 Bryce released his self-titled EP, The Rocket Summer, and with two full length albums to follow (Calendar Days and Hello, Good Friend), Avary quickly gained a devoted group of fans through heavy touring and word of mouth. Always delivering an impressive product, previous albums were left feeling slightly under-polished. Now with his signing to a major label, Avary finally has all the bells and whistles at his dispense, delivering his classic Rocket Summer sound but in a nice, polished package.

Avary’s talent runs deep, as he plays most of the instruments on albums, does all of the writing, and co-produced Do You Feel. Known for his youthful spunk, Avary’s albums have always been laced with energy while expressing hope, but Do You Feel expands on that offer of hope, to challenge listeners to change the world around them, especially through the title track. With lyrics like “Sometimes I convince myself that all is fine in the world, it’s not mine, why should I try to fix things I didn’t create or contrive”, Avary reminds listeners that whether or not we’re part of the problem, we should all strive to be part of the solution.

The album’s first single, “So Much Love”, is laced with horns, and features a rare guest appearance by the horn section that played on Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In The Key Of Life”. Another rare moment on Do You Feel is the track “A Song Is Not A Business Plan”, which Bryce admits was penned due to a bitter moment when his van broke down, and forced him to cancel a Canadian Tour. While there are two standout messages on the track, one speaking to the monotonous sound that blankets much of the music on the radio (“hey stop do you hear an echo, I do but does anyone know? Same thing we heard an hour ago, different band the same radio”), while the other has him calling out the actions and motivations of many in the music industry (“Oh you know I’ll never do the things they do just to make it”), the overall message rings clear. Honest music is a rare find these days, and Bryce vows to stay true to himself and his music, even if that means being stuck with a broken down van instead of a nice bus.

While the album has incredible energy, there are also a healthy dose of slower, more intimate tracks such as “So, In This Hour” and “Run To You”, which both give a message of redemption, and handing your life over to Christ.

Stand out tracks include the poppy and overwhelmingly danceable opener "Break It Out", "Save Me", which proves to be a passionate heart cry to return to the spiritual intimacy he had once experienced, and the 5-minute long closer, "I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You", which is endearing in its honest and simple lyrics, accompanied only by an acoustic guitar for the majority of the song, and highlighted with piano.

The only misstep on the album, in my opinion, is the song “Waiting”, which I feel is bland at best when compared to the other songs on the album, which are either slow and insightful, or energetic and exciting, while still managing to be insightful. This just doesn’t cut it musically, and the lyrics ironically cry out and attest to that with a line saying, “it’s monotonous my personality’s colorless, becoming bland and asleep”. Avary hit’s the nail on the head.

Overall, though the heart and foundation of The Rocket Summer has always stayed the same, the creativity in the music, thoughtfulness in the lyrics, and quality of the production has only enhanced as Bryce matures as a person and an artist. Bryce has crafted a perfect formula with his instrumentation, and a unique lyrical style that easily crosses the secular/CCM line, spreading messages of universal hope, love, and appreciation of the excitement of life. Do You Feel is a great album, sure to bring energy and excitement to your summer!