Silver Roses

The lead track “Silver Roses” off Rose City Band’s latest LP Earth Trip hits like Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” Frontman Ripley Johnson has a softer voice than the Nobel Prize winner, but the Portland artist wrings a similar pathos out of the simple theme. Not too shabby.

The real comfort zone for Rose City Band is bluegrass-influenced rock n roll chuggers. More than a touch of the Grateful Dead in the mix. But on the recorded album Johnson foregrounds the more controlled compositions of a singer-songwriter with a solitary vision.

Guitars fit in as flourish and don’t get let off the leash for too long. Wouldn’t be a surprise at all if he flipped that script in the live show.

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