Family Average: 6/7

I think it's safe to say, the family loves a band from Chicago. The city has given us two bands that we loved! First with Spacebones and now with Romancoke. Check out what the gang had to say about this rock & roll album. 

Listen along on Spotify and read on to find out:

I know my last few reviews have really brought out my band bashing nature, but its apparent with this one that Sean knows the type of music that I like, and so he scored big with Romancoke.

I really enjoyed this album. Their music is tastefully done, it’s light and airy similar to Poco and America (editor's note: These are West Coast Country rock bands for anyone who didn't know...like me). It is the kind of music you would take with you on a long drive cross county to L.A. or heading east to the Florida Keys. The opener “We’re Okay” is well executed; a light strumming guitar, drums, then vocals all layered perfectly so that the track flows effortlessly. “Moon Light” was a fun tune; the wandering guitar riffs and fills gave it a nice jam-band aspect to it. I really liked “New Orleans”, but then again what’s not to like about New Orleans. This track was also light and airy with an added bonus of a guitar solo, I would have sworn it was Jesse Valenzuela of the Gin Blossoms. Good Stuff.

6/7

I downloaded this to my phone to listen while driving to get Kevin at the train and was pleasantly surprised. The instrumentals were crisp and clean and the composition was well thought out.  

On the first track my only suggestion would be for the vocals to stay with the harmonies. When they sang the chorus the vocals meshed well with the music, however when the singer was solo there was somewhat of a disconnect. The third track," New Orleans" and also  "Heed the day" would be my favorites. They reminded me of 1980's indie rock bands like "The House Martins". Overall I would give it

5/7

Oh hey, Romancoke. This was a much needed respite after a lot of the music I’ve been subjected to lately, and woah, did I enjoy it. There is a buoyant quality to the album that just mellowed me out and made me happily sway along. The guitar on songs like “Crystals in Our Eyes,” is really clean, and has just the right amount of twang and power to propel the song without overpowering it. That feels true throughout the album -- they’ve got a good balance between all the moving parts. They’ve also managed to capture the spontaneous and natural feeling of a garage band, but stay really tight and melodic. Nothing groundbreaking, but a really lovely and amiable album overall.

5/7

Man oh man, where do I begin?! From the beginning of that first riff on ‘We’re Okay’, I was hooked to this album. What a wondrous job of combining all these ambient sounds and creating a truly masterclass piece of work.

This is a group who has explored their music enough to know what they can and can’t do, and how to put it all together. The front man knows the range of his voice and it complements the instrumentals. The lyrics are meaningful and well-crafted to fit where they must. The rhythm and lead guitars dance in tandem seamlessly. I couldn’t get enough.The track list is well-thought out. There are similar songs sure, but they don’t get repetitive. They each have their own story to tell, their own spirit, yet they still feel interwoven with each other. As if you couldn’t listen to one song without listening to the rest. My soul feels much more complete after listening to this.

7/7

Before I start I want to make this clear: I really enjoyed this album, really can not stress that enough.

Holy heck this thing has my mind in a real tizzy! I'm caught in the limbo between uplifted and utter devastation. I would equate it to someone baking a fantastic delicious cake, to tell you that they want a divorce. I am a guy who likes sad music, and when I put it on I typically know what I am getting into, which is why this album in particular caught me off guard upon first listen. Okay, well enough about my feelings, let's talk about some of the music on this fellah.

If Romancoke is a place that sounds like these guys, then I can say that I like the sound coming out of there. Holy heck these guys are tight. Setting it up right in the first song, the listener is treated to a cohesive album consisting of a familiar cast of sounds that rotate telling different stories. Under it all you have the drums which are kind of sparse, but overall have a punchy presence. Just below the vocals in the hierarchy sits the rhythm and lead guitar. The two play off each other well. Up in the front the lead vocals and harmonies move the stories along.

I guess the reason for me going so far in depth is that this is really my preferred structure for an indie rock kind of band like this. That being said, I think these guys have more than proven their abilities, and I would love to see them start pushing out at some boundaries. (also maybe play a show in NYC so I can see you)

6/7