(2021) Rose City Band - Earth Trip          


Review:
Psychedelic journeyman Ripley Johnson began Rose City Band as a solo project that refined his more polished and rock-oriented work in bands like Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo into a gauzy, cosmic take on country-folk. He lifted the lo-fi fog of a 2019 eponymous album with the expanded arrangements and twangy touches of the next year’s Summerlong, and third album Earth Trip brings in even further heightened production values and a spectrum of subtle, dreamy details. On the songwriting side of things, Johnson stays in a mellow mode for the majority of the record. Slow tempos, straightforward chord changes, and steady, unfussy performances set the foundation for lovely, softly delivered tunes like “In the Rain,” “Feel of Love,” and the glistening opener “Silver Roses.” The album balances out its patient, low-impact moments with a few relatively upbeat country pop tunes and the moody psych-rock shuffle of album closer “Dawn Patrol.” Themes of natural beauty appear repeatedly in the lyrics, with Johnson reflecting on the gentle gifts offered by wide-open spaces, wandering trails, or waking up early to spend time alone in nature. In addition to this sharper focus on observing nature, Earth Trip breaks new ground for the project in its clear, direct sound. Recorded primarily at home by Johnson and mixed by producer Cooper Crain, the eight songs that make up Earth Trip have none of the groggy haze of the debut album, and even dial back the overdriven jam-band qualities of the higher-definition Summerlong. Glowing pedal steel, melancholic harmonica lines, understated electric bass, and just a dash of tripped-out wah-wah guitar are all used tastefully throughout the album, keeping Johnson’s sleepy vocal melodies and the gently floating energy of the songs as the primary focus. The care and intention applied to all aspects of Earth Trip make it the lightest set from Rose City Band to date, sustaining a mood that’s consistently joyful and relaxed, even through various fluctuations in energy and emotional intensity.





Track Listing:
1.Silver Roses 04:59
2.In The Rain 07:46
3.World Is Turning 03:56
4.Feel Of Love 04:36
5.Lonely Places 03:46
6.Ramblin' With The Day 03:38
7.Rabbit 05:50
8.Dawn Patrol 09:10


Media Report:
Genre: country-rock
Country: USA
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits