There’s nothing wrong with having a retro sound when you’re doing it the right way, and if you didn’t believe this before hearing “Songs Out Loud,” I think you will after giving its three and half minutes of magic a shot. One of our first looks at up and coming alternative rocker Josema Ganz’s Rough Minds project, “Songs Out Loud” sports an old fashioned moxie in its distorted melodicism coupled with a new school rebelliousness in its creator bound to leave any rock enthusiast curious for more. Rough Minds initially sounds like a concept act out of another time, but after closer examination, this solo project might be creating the most focused indie rock you’re going to hear this February.
Website: https://www.roughminds.com/
So far, comparisons between this sound and that of traditional British rock and the Britpop of the early 1990s have been frequent to say the least, but I personally hear just as much of an American influence as I do anything European here. “Songs Out Loud” has the thrust of a Bob Mould composition, the desperation of Paul Westerberg and a hint of Pete Droge’s ironic take on lyricism, all of which inspire a dryness in the narrative I wouldn’t expect out of a straight-Britpop throwback. The diversity of this player’s style is undeniable, especially in a track like this one.
Ganz’s lead vocal is understated here, as if designed simply to finesse rather than actually define the mood of the music, but this isn’t to say he isn’t a gifted singer. His harmony with Stuart Epps in the chorus inspires the biggest chills of any in “Songs Out Loud,” and frankly I think it is more than reason enough to give this song and its accompanying music video a shot. Hardly anyone is the full-package, but this young man definitely has a lot going for him in this release.
Personally I found the chemistry between the vocal track and that of the fuzzy guitar element in the mix to be angst-ridden to a far greater degree than any of the actual lyrics are in this single, and it’s only through the emphasis of subtle details like this one that we’re able to understand just how much depth Rough Minds has at this stage of the game. There are moments in which this feels more like band than a solo effort, mostly because of the multifaceted points of catharsis found between the start and finish lines.
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Out-Loud-Rough-Minds/dp/B07HKHCMSQ
I just found out about Rough Minds this past week, but if material like “Songs Out Loud” is something that we should be expecting out of his output in the future then you can absolutely sign me up for more. Ganz is an artist who isn’t afraid to be himself and grow into his own sound – that much is incredibly obvious when listening to this performance – and judging from the direction he’s going in right now, I think that rock n’ roll buffs hopeful for a new killer player to take over the market in 2021 might be in luck with his efforts.
John McCall