For today we have a short music review of Andrew Rohlk's A Little Less Rough EP, with a link at the end for a FREE download of the EP! Please enjoy, I know I sure did!
A Little Less Rough EP
1) We'll Be OK: from the very first guitar chords coming in, it's obvious that Andrew Rohlk is a great musician, but that he will be compared to an earlier John Mayer, by some. His voice even sounds like Mayer sometimes. I don't think this is a bad thing. It sucks in the listener who might typically avoid listening to an unsigned artist, then they stay for Andrew, and not the occasional John Mayer similarities. But this song starts off the EP pretty well, with great vocals, some cool back-up vocals, and guitar playing that just seems to have so much soul behind it. Not exactly the kind of song that gets stuck in your head all day (in my opinion), but it's a fantastic way to kick it all off for the listener!
2) Only Friends: the race is close for whether this is my favorite song on the EP or not. Andrew's vocals, as always, are strong and full of emotion. He starts to hit those lovely high notes a bit more frequently in this tune. Imagine the way Bon Iver kind of does it sometimes. It's like that...but juicier. Yes I said "juicier." Andrew's acoustic guitar is a perfect sidekick in this song, helping him tell the story even during the instrumental part near the end, followed by percussion coming in and great back-up vocals to end it all in a kind of echoing climax of music and emotion. Fantastic tune.
3) I'm a Mess: Cheerful guitar strumming, shakers, and lyrics of relationships make this track sound like something I listen to every day in the summer. It might remind some people of The Format's stuff, if you find the need to compare it to something...but I think there's no need to compare. Andrew's stuff is great, this song is a killer tune in his arsenal of songs with his usual spot on vocals that make the heart melt regardless of sex, make you want to keep listening, and make it feel like he's singing about your life with every lyrics. This is the kind of song that might get stuck in your head all day...and I dare you to not bob your head or tap your feet to this song. If you manage that, you're deaf or not human. Great track in the mix of this EP as we hit the finale on a cheery note!
4) What This Will Be: the song begins with some slow guitar playing and Andrew's solid voice hitting some low notes. It begins to pick up the pace, and the strong lyrics continue to suck you in as he starts to bust out some of his high notes. Then, out of left field comes one of the best things about this album: the sing along. One of the best things about an Andrew Rohlk live performance is that despite being a quiet guy, he is an amazing performer that interacts with the audience perfectly. To me this song if perfect for him, for the listener, and for this EP by showing the regular ole listener why they should keep coming back! The song, the beat, the sing along all get stuck in your head and make you hit replay a few times just to hear him hit the low notes at the beginning and his spotless high notes at the end. Amazing way to end the EP.
I loved this EP and I look forward to future shows and future releases from him! Maybe Andrew Rohlk isn't everybody's style of music, but I'm a huge fan and it's time for you to become a fan too by downloading Andrew Rohlk's new EP, A Little Less Rough for FREE here.
To comment or see older album reviews such as The Casey Cavanagh Band's awesome EP reviewed on March 3, 2011...or Girl Talk's newest mash-up amazingness reviewed on December 21, 2010.go to www.tylerconta.blogspot.com
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