By Mike Fordham

In an instance of “better late than never,” the California pop/rock group Rooney is getting its due. The band’s music was featured on the popular show The OC, which has catapulted their success. Still, fans of the show and the music buying public alike missed the boat on Rooney’s self-titled debut album. It came out in 2003 to very little fanfare. Perhaps it was their resemblance to garage rockers of the day, or the world was too focused on the happenings of Ms. Spears. Rooney came and went, slipping under many people’s radars.

With all Rooney brings to the table, it’s surprising that the group didn’t skyrocket. Rooney parade about with Strokes-y, hipster cool while maintaining Weezer’s pop/rock sensibility. (It should be noted that Rooney has opened for both acts.) Their stylish, slick musicianship conjures up another fantastic group, Phantom Planet (whose former drummer, Jason Schwartzmann, is the older brother of Rooney frontman Robert Carmine). Let’s get this straight: similar sound to two popular and respected groups, ties to said acts and nepotism to boot (not to mention a name taken from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off)? In a perfect world, this formula would equate into superstardom.

Thankfully, Rooney possesses the musical prowess to get them to the top. Virtually all of the choruses seem tailor-made to be caught in a listener’s head. Leadoff track “Blueside” jangles on as Rooney adds some group harmony. Tambourines shimmy in and out of “I’m A Terrible Person” while Carmine rattles off a laundry list of ways he wronged his girlfriend. Just try not to sing along to the chorus of “Sorry, Sorry”-“I’m sorry, sorry / for making your life a living hell.” The pinnacle of Rooney, however, without question is “I’m Shakin’.”

Even thought Rooney may be written off as sound-alikes to other artists, they cannot be ignored. Flashy pop/rock never sounded this good before. Given some time, Rooney may achieve success.