Rossonian

"Garuda," the first song on Rossonian's self-titled debut, sounds at first as though inter-dimensional aliens have taken over Steely Dan, but less than a minute in, the song shifts into syncopated, hazy pop akin to that of MGMT, only with more of a jazz foundation. "Love Clutch" has a power-pop...

By Tom Murphy

September 19, 2013

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"Garuda," the first song on Rossonian's self-titled debut, sounds at first as though inter-dimensional aliens have taken over Steely Dan, but less than a minute in, the song shifts into syncopated, hazy pop akin to that of MGMT, only with more of a jazz foundation. "Love Clutch" has a power-pop vibe going for it, down to the hand claps and buoyant momentum. Next, "Ticklish" blends hushed, Laurel Canyon-flavored psych and chamber pop, while "Ra," which begins with moments of feedback drone, ends up being the heaviest and densest track of the bunch, the distorted melody and off-beat rhythm giving it a gritty, determined feel. On the closer, "Shooting Star," Rossonian flirts with Supertramp territory, channeling "Dreamer," but then shoots the song through with high energy before fading out.

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Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

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Twitter: @simianthinker