Roosevelt - Valley of Stone Review
There’s a little bit of everything in this boiling pot, whether it funk, indie, alt-rock, pop, RnB or hip hop and it all blends into a promising start.
rating:3.5
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Anyway, formerly going by the name of Cutting the Beef this four piece had begun to make some waves in the South Wales music scene, but as seems to be the Welsh thing to do (see; Tiger Please-the People the Poet, Cuba Cuba-Safari Gold) it was time for a change. The end of last year saw the end of Cutting the Beef, but rising out of the ashes of that overdone steak was the phoenix of Roosevelt. Coming hot on the heels of this new beginning is Valley of Stone, their debut EP, that is currently streaming on SoundCloud and available for free download. Valley of Stone comes across as an eclectic experimentation of an EP and is as good a way as any for the band to kick off 2013. Through the course of its six tracks, the EP comprises numerous genres amalgamating in something odd, but something quite different and something enjoyable. Kryptonite for example starts the EP with acoustic guitars, treated vocals and a quietly middle eastern fuzz of a melody before sampled percussion, beats, loops and synths arrive out of leftfield like a more restrained Skrillex. Why dont you go to the bathroom next door? comes next on a minimalist hip hop beat but with the twinge of a funky Super Furry Animals in the verse and an alt-rock chorus which leaves you with a kind of Beck inspired whole. https://soundcloud.com/rooseveltband/hyena Hyena manages to be one of the more straightforward songs on the EP, in so far as its structure, but it is still focussed on the bands genre experimentation as its instrumentation leans heavily towards an almost hip hop style production with hints of The XX minimalism, intricate layered synth melodies, treated vocals, cut n past technique and repeated hooks. However, it still feels very much like a band song with indie sensibilities. Follow Me, for me, is possibly the strongest song on display here and is the EPs centrepiece. It takes a slow-burning turn and the result is moodier and broodier with a more modern RnB feel and some great vocal melodies. Essentially theres a little bit of everything in this boiling pot, whether it funk, indie, alt-rock, pop, RnB or hip hop. Right down to I Dont Know But Ive Been Tolds synth strut or tender closing track Do You Love Me Now?s acoustic country balladry, its a usually incompatible mix of genres but somehow here they all sit right and seem altogether compatible. A promising new start, and I swear that cover photo is my back lane from when the world was black and white. https://soundcloud.com/rooseveltband/follow-me-cracked-ep facebook twitter soundcloud