A swell of organ here, a dollop of slide guitar there, sparkling pop tunes all around. All of those elements - not to mention last year’s disarmingly excellent debut EP, “The Going and the Gone,’’ which proved one of the finer entries in the local music sweepstakes - are the calling cards of a quintet that expertly blends power-pop guitar crunch with a dash of country-rock flavor. What more of a rationale do you need to check them out?
- - Jonathan Perry
Boston Globe / November 13, 2009
Each song is a multilayered hook-fest with carefully constructed instrumentation and vocal balance that makes it one of the better power pop albums you’ll hear this year... subtle background vocals to the simple yet effective guitar work to the overblown keyboard-bordering-on-organ sound adds layers that create an irresistible mix of swirling ear candy.
- - Northeast Performer Magazine
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Whether it is a full melody that soars out of the haze or the echoing of twangy country-style guitar riffs, The Rationales from Boston put together a sound that is complete and finished. On their debut release, “The Going And The Gone,” The Rationales let themselves do some rocking and rolling with reserved pop rock while still keeping things classy and smart.
- - Plug In Music
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a cool mix of big star and kinks like poppiness and wilco and the jayhawks inspired rootsy jingle jangle. my ears were like putty in their hands. - - Captain's Dead
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"With an exuberant blend of pop, rock, and Americana seamlessly intergrating with their inherent indie spirit, The Rationales are poised to make their mark in Boston and Beyond." - - They Will Rock You
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The Going and the Gone kicks off with a confident, luxurious mesh of guitars on "Guardrail," followed by the boisterous bounce of "No Guarantees," [and] sustains this wave of raucous, infectious energy throughout--which might be why the closing track "Ruby Colored Halo" comes as such a surprise and delight. Featuring lovely touches of slide guitar, this sweet, folksy number not only offers another view of the Rationales, supplementing their power pop chops with poetry as well. - Easily Fooled
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Longtime readers know I have a soft spot for bands that bridge the divide between power pop and alt-country, and this Boston band has done just that on their debut EP. "No Guarantees" is the track that hooked me in, and it manages to fit influences as varied as Wilco, The Old 97s and Big Star into its 2:14 running time. Also worth the price of admission are the instantly catchy "Far Away", the jangly "Cliche" and the pedal steel-drenched closer "Ruby Covered Halo". If this sounds like it's up your alley, it would be downright ir-Rationale to pass on this EP. http://absolutepowerpop.blogspot.com/
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The Rationales hang on to what makes a great record: chords that count, melody, backing vocals! straight ahead, earnest, punchy rock, with solid vocals, intelligent guitar dynamics and lines here and there that sink a little deeper. In The Going and The Gone, The Rationales are finding new respect for pop in the here and now with real songs played from the heart. -- Chris LeRoy, Songwriter.
Cracker/ The BellRays/ The SongBook
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Sounding like Whiskeytown meets Tom Petty with a bit of The Rolling Stones thrown in, The group stradles the line between pop and rock. "Guardrail" is a Wilco-like mid tempo number with an inventive bassline and backing organ that drives the melody to a lush chorus. "No Guarantees" - has the power pop bounce and twang that Rhett Miller and Old 97s did at their poppiest. This continues into the awesome "Far Away" with a ghostly harmonic in chorus and Jagger-like vocals. The catchy driving rhythms are also on "On the Vine" - it compares well with Wilco's "Summerteeth"-era roots pop. I really look forward to a full album from The Rationales, as this is an excellent EP.
- - Powerpopaholic
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A promising band that delivers not just on that promise, but lays it down completely alongside all that promise with material that makes a the perfect introduction to a band we look forward to more of. - - Not Lame
The Rationales mix of powerpop, classic rock vibe and a grounding in the roots of american music have served them well in their entry into the Boston music scene. Having released a successful debut EP ("The Going and The Gone") in 2008 (and with the band and its members having shared the stage in recent years with Jeff Tweedy, OKGo, The Wooden Sky, Bill Janovitz, The Click Five, All American Rejects, The Upwelling, Nada Surf, The Gentlemen, The Explorer's Club, The Rudds and more), The Rationales are more tightly focused than ever on continuing to develop as a dynamic live act and sharing their ever growing reserve of material with their fans.
very cool songwriting and sound...and we heard you rocked ipo...our debut cd will be released early 2010...hope you like what you hear...lotsa loud!!...
i just wanted to stop by your page and thank you for being my friend on here....i hope that you had a fun halloween and that you got lots of treats and no tricks...:) i didn't get a chance to go to a party this year....i have been on the road....and working on getting the new album i just finished in austin with charlie sexton done....we have it ready for pre-sale and we expect it to be fully available at the end of november.....anyways, if you would like to watch the video for the album here is the link....let me know what you think....
Greetings from naked j. I want to say thanks for your support of my 52 acoustic songs in 52 week and thanks for making it a great success. I have just posted song 27 of 52: “Hookers and Blow” it's a post modern love song Thanks for listening,
I've been splendid, many thanks for the asking! I'm actually hoping to strike up a poetical friendship with the lizard lounge microphone at open mic this sunday- are you playing again there in the near? cheers! M'shall
THE NUBBISH will be appearing live on on Scorch's PFG-TV tonight Saturday April 18th at 9PM EST along with Maxim Magazine babes, The Free Radicals, Nick and his magical Armani Suit and much MUCH more!!!
Thanks so much for for adding us. It would really mean a lot to us if you could stop by and give it a listen to our music and let us know what you think.
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