Quickie Review: James Roseman “The Demo Tape”

I always find it interesting when an artist manages to blend two different genres that are seemingly un-blendable. James Roseman does this particularly well. He takes folk, acoustic style guitars mixes it with some almost hip hop style backbeats, and sprinkles a little indie pop repeatability on the finished product. I will be honest, this is not my typical taste in music, but it’s enjoyable to listen to. Roseman has a strong and steady voice. It feels familiar, alluring and welcoming. The layering of the parts works well, this sounds like something that should be on college radio and all the hip kids are listening to. Production is great, the sounds he is getting on this collection are solid.

You said you’d be a friend
Well all you’ve been is afraid
You said you’d be my rock
well show me how that rock gets made

The three tracks flow well and quickly. There are hints of folk buried down in there somewhere, there are bits of rock, I guess this is indie rock music? That’s the classification I suppose. I think if James was able to pull this all off live with loop pedals and built up the music right in front of you, that would be an impressive live show. I think the star is Roseman’s voice. Even with a lot going on with the sound effects and throbbing beat, his voice cuts through the mix particularly well. For someone who isn’t typically a fan of this particular type of music, the artist makes it a good listen and I may change my mind about it in the future.