ROSE WINDOWS - The Sun Dogs

Kategorie: CD-Reviews | Genre: Alternative/Indie, Folk/Folkrock | Heft: Jahrgang 2013, eclipsed Nr. 152 / 7-8-2013 | VÖ-Jahr: 2013 | Wertung: 8/10 | Label: Sub Pop | Autor: WK


What a debut! The band Rose Windows, from Seattle, manages to pull together moods that nobody else gets a hat under the famous ones. Not only does songwriter Chris Cheveyo build a stable bridge of progressive traditions (in this case, this phrase is not a contradiction) between England and America, but with his seven-piece band he even weaves a resilient web of inspiration: from the Beatles, Yes, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Jefferson Airplane, It's A Beautiful Day and the Doors to Jane's Addiction, Flaming Lips, Decemberists and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. Even influences of Southeast Asian, Arabic and East European music flow into this filigree wickerwork. With their individually spun song fantasies, which are based on the virtues of classical music and blues, the young band spreads out in their own imaginary spaces like watercolour on a damp piece of watercolour cardboard. Every song means a gain in terrain. The personnel configuration allows an almost unlimited instrumental radius of action. It's not even noticeable when the band from the high northwest of the states suddenly switches from elfin prog fantasies to heavy metal riffs. With her panoramic access to rock history she forms a coalition with other young acts like the Black Angels, Alabama Shakes or Foxygen. But all this accumulated knowledge would make little sense if Cheveyo didn't have a knack for gripping dramaturgical sequences and irresistible melodies. Some of these songs have so many ideas that others make a complete album out of them. The band name could not be better chosen in this respect: In its expansive colourfulness, this album is indeed reminiscent of a Gothic rose window.

Top track: Walkin' With A Woman

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