LooseTight "The Diner"

Let's head over to Vero Beach, Florida today and check out a fun and tasty offering from LooseTight called "The Diner" which was submitted to 5 Skull Reviews. LooseTight describe themselves as a mixture of progressive rock, funk, and jazz... but I'm also detecting a thick layer of blues influence here.

"Sliders" begins in avant-garde fashion, with flooding guitar chords and a wild Keith Moon style drum intro. The mood cools down for a moment, and the song begins properly after about 30 seconds or so. This is an upbeat, bluesy Strat-rock tune. It's packed with catchy riffs, and has a soul packed guitar solo. The vocals are thick and bluesy, reflecting the vibe of the tune beautifully. This song has a video available.

"Sidedish" shows off the band's jazzier side, turning the tempo up a bit and displaying dizzying acrobatics between the guitar hits and the drum patterns. This instrumental tune had my head spinning, especially around the 2:30 mark when the whole tune stalls for a moment and becomes basically free jazz. This is a cool track.

"Room for more" starts off like a mixture of Rage Against The Machine and The Black Keys, if that makes any sense at all. Another instrumental song, it's stacked with more chunky riffs. The ending of this song is mind boggling, with the drummer deciding to go off on his own and take a heavily syncopated solo. I love music that makes me think.

Back to the blues steeped vocals, "The Appetizer" shows off more tricky rhythm work before shifting mood entirely. Lovely and thick chords make up the bridge, and the song comes back in "Don't Fear The Reaper" fashion. This song is thinking far outside of the box.

"The Main Course" shows off the band's more progressive side as well as a little bit of funk. LooseTight aren't afraid of odd timing and wacky passages, but they manage to bring it back under control and create a song that I can still nod my head to... despite a few moments of "huh, what was that?!"

The final track on the album, "Dessert For Two" is a slower song with a clean guitar vibe. I didn't quite understand some of the note choices in the verse, but the chorus is spectacular. The song has a few breaks, in LooseTight fashion, and they create a Pink Floyd style buildup to the verse. There's also a really cool jam-style lead part at the end.

This record is awesome. It definitely shows off the raw skill of these two players, and kept me on my toes the whole time. The tones on this record are to kill for. The drums sound clean and crisp, and the guitar sounds amazing. I wasn't sure whether it was LooseTight or Stevie Ray Vaughn playing on a couple of those riffs! These guys have a forward thinking and unique sound, and I feel like I've learned something having listened to this. It's quite the mix of styles. You never know what's coming up next, it might be a chunky blues riff or it might be a drum solo. I'm also a huge fan of the song names, choosing to go for a concept on the whole record. It felt like a complete work because everything flowed beautifully and revolved around the concept of eating at a diner.

LooseTight is Nickolas Reed (Drums) and Ben Gillis (Guitar).

I'd like to thank LooseTight for submitting this great album to 5 Skull Reviews! As always, I'd also like to encourage YOU to go listen to this for yourself, and support the band!

"THE DINER"

Type: EP release

Release date: June 2, 2018

Label: Cut-N-Paste Recordings (no longer affiliated)

Tracklist:

01. Sliders (4:07)

02. Sidedish (3:28)

03. Room for more (4:57)

04. The Appetizer (3:52)

05. The Main Course (3:47)

06. Dessert for two (5:39)

How to get it:

Bandcamp:

https://loosetight.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/LooseTightFL/

YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGu24G1VHq4g2GXHwP2rrSA

THE VERDICT:

4 out of 5 Skulls

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Rose Dickeson "Kintsugi"

It's a rainy summer afternoon here at 5 Skull Reviews headquarters, and I couldn't dream of a more fitting soundtrack. Submitting from Port Saint Lucie, Florida; indie duo Rose Dickeson is a refreshing change of pace in my inbox.

Featuring the sweet and lovable styling of Ariel Rosario (Vocals / Piano) and the tempered yet funky percussion of Chris Dickeson (Drums), Rose Dickeson is a combination of their last names and a pure wholesome expression of their passion for music.

"Rise Up" builds to an uplifting message, as the slow chords become a fun melody and the drums kick in to reinforce. "There's days when we all feel this way," for sure, but we can all use a little positivity and "rise up straight to the top."

"Broken" is a sadder tune, one of only a couple notably sad songs on this 12 track full-length album. It describes a tough breakup and the feelings of betrayal and sadness that resulted. This song is incredibly relatable as well. I believe that everyone has, at some point, met someone who turned out to be different in the end. The interesting use of percussion and acoustic guitar really adds to the production of this emotional tune.

The emotional journey of Rose Dickeson continues over the next few songs, with the upbeat healing of "Fine" and the slow but closure-providing forgiveness of "All The Funny Things."

Life has a beautiful way of resolving in circles, and when one door closes sometimes others may open. A hard breakup can give way to a new relationship. The album moves on with the happy and upbeat "20" with a piano riff that reminds me a bit of the famous "Heart And Soul" duet to start off. This would be a great song for a wedding playlist!

The title track, "Kintsugi" is a glorious summation of this intimate story, including sections of spoken word and a mighty build toward the later half of the song.

"Drummer Boy" is another fun song, resolving the story that was started off in "20" and showing the light and love in this wonderfully matched pair.

The hits just keep on coming with "Amber Eyes," "Unbreakable," and "Lately" rounding out the explanation of the story of Rose Dickeson and how they came to be. These songs are very personal and detailed, and are guaranteed to tug at the heart strings of the listener.

"Monster" is the final traditional track on the album, and it is the other sad song. I might even be convinced to call this song upset, with an accusatory tone throughout. "What kind of man are you? A monster in disguise." The feel of the song is slow and haunting, featuring layered vocal harmonies.

The final track on "Kintsugi" is an acoustic version of "Broken" which features only Rosario's vocals and piano. This stripped down and soulful version is a nice bonus track but it ends the album on a somber note.

I love the comforting feeling that this music gave me today. Rose Dickeson is adorably enjoyable, sweet and pure. This is what I imagine a picnic date would sound like. The sound quality is clean and professional without coming off as big budget or effects-heavy. I feel like this album is a great representation of what you're going to get if you walk into a coffee shop or a diner and hear these two playing on a nice afternoon on the coast.

This is a drastic departure from the types of music that I normally listen to. I feel strange giving this soft of a record a Skull rating, but it must be done. I would, however, like to encourage YOU to chill out a bit and listen to some Rose Dickeson to take the edge off. Many thank yous to them for submitting to 5 Skull Reviews, as out of character as this may seem. Have a wonderful time!

"KINTSUGI"

Type: Full-length

Release date: Upcoming, digital preview released July 11th, 2018

Label: Self-released

Tracklist:

01. Rise Up (3:13)

02. Broken (4:11)

03. Fine (3:45)

04. All The Funny Things (3:00)

05. Funny (2:55)

06. Kintsugi (3:36)

07. Drummer Boy (3:34)

08. Amber Eyes (3:02)

09. Unbreakable (3:56)

10. Lately (3:22)

11. Monster (4:07)

12. Broken (Acoustic) (4:34)

How to get it:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/rosedickesonmusic/

Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/rosedickeson

THE VERDICT:

4 out of 5 Skulls

💀💀💀💀