Portland, Oregon’s Rose City Band is another project from Ripley Johnson, who is also one half of droning psych-rock band Moon Duo and the leader of spaced out garage rocker’s Wooden Shjips. Named after the city he calls home, the Rose City Band’s sophomore release Summerlong is a rousing blend of country, psych, and 70s rock and roll. With only eight tracks, Summerlong may seem like it is on the shorter side for an LP, but Johnson more than makes up for it with longer songs that are stretched out, unhurried, and improvisational. The Rose City band is mostly just Johnson joined by a few friends; the album – in Johnson’s own words – “peels back the haze of the first album for a far more country-accented set of songs…with clearer vocals and the expanded instrumentation, that includes go-to country-rock embellishments like mandolin and pedal steel.” Notable tracks include: the breezy, twangy opener “Only Lonely”; the reflective dreamy track “Empty Bottles;” the rambling “Real Long Gone”; the lazy drifting introspective number “Floating Out”; the upbeat twangy “Morning Light”; the bluesy psychedelic “Reno Shuffle”; the synth-laden free-flowing instrumental jam “Wee Hours”; and the Jerry Garcia-esque guitar vibed “Wildflowers.” Rose City Band’s Summerlong proves Johnson has the chops to lay down an excellent cosmic country album in his exploration of psychedelia as a musician. This for me is one of the best releases of the year and leaves you wanting to experience the Rose City Band live. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Steve Gunn, Moon Duo, Pacific Range, Woods, Wooden Shjips