The Moonlandingz – No Rocket Required

Label: Transgressive Records
Released: 25th April 2025

Seven years after their delightfully unhinged debut, The Moonlandingz have returned with ‘No Rocket Required’, an album that’s equal parts disco swagger and philosophical rambling, delivered with a knowing wink and a shot of something stronger than usual.

‘Some People’s Music’ kicks things off with a gloriously grumpy takedown of musical snobbery that plays like a drunk uncle’s Facebook rant set to a surprisingly infectious groove. It’s this ability to marry the absurd with the genuinely moving that defines the record’s best moments.

‘The Sign of A Man’ emerges as an early highlight, its synth-pop credentials pristine enough for the dancefloor while its lyrics (“I’ve been to Cardiff, that’s in Wales”) maintain the band’s commitment to gleeful nonsense. When Nadine Shah joins for ‘Roustabout’, the album hits its stride, proving The Moonlandingz can craft properly sophisticated pop when they fancy it. The addition of Iggy Pop on ‘It’s Where I’m From’ provides another masterclass in contrast – his weathered croon floating over delicate instrumentation.

What makes ‘No Rocket Required’ work is its refusal to choose between serious artistry and sublime ridiculousness. The Moonlandingz have created an album that’s both a critique of modern life and a celebration of its absurdities: there’s something admirable about a band that can make you dance while questioning everything from masculinity to musical elitism. It’s a world where profound truths hide in plain sight, dressed in sequins and speaking in riddles. 

‘No Rocket Required’ dances on the line between genius and madness, usually managing to be both at once.