With their new single, “Good Morning,” Rogue Wave have taken all of the things they had going for them — beautifully layered guitars, mellifluous vocals, a healthy sense of introspection — and completely obliterated them, opting instead for the same sort of sugary pop their original music seemed to be a reaction against. At first listen, this track just sounds fake and overly synthesized. This initial diagnosis ultimately holds true after multiple listens. Electropop may occasionally be formulaic and contrived, but Rogue Wave should’ve left electropop to those who know how to do it. Not only is this subpar pop painful to listen to, but it’s even more painful to think that Rogue Wave at one point made music that was phenomenal. Among indie music snobs, the mainstream is known to “taint” quintessentially indie acts, but it rarely happens so quickly. Rogue Wave has officially disappointed its entire (ex-)listener base.

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