Album Review/ Blues Rock : Rosetta West’s ‘God of the Dead’

Rosetta West’s blues rock is right out of the 20th century. Dripping with OG blues and a raw charisma, the band celebrate the genre, indulge its variations, depth, novelty, and whimsy. Their latest release is ‘God of the Dead’, a collection that goes to morbid places, paving a groovy path, so interesting and full of spontaneity and surprises. The theme is transformed by the bluesy spirit and the passion that they have for it. Mixed in with hard rock, folk rock, and a range of cerebral elements, it has a distinctive lure of its own. One that cannot be replicated or found anywhere else. 

‘Boneyard Blues’ introduces the album with its deep gorges and stellar peaks. The dark emotions are delivered with a scrunchy and coarse texture. Swirling around you the riffs and basslines create a mellow whirlpool that becomes the atmosphere that you experience the theme in. The lead guitar work is especially mercurial, unpredictable in the solo, psychedelic and so spectacularly blue. ‘Underground’, ‘My Life’, and ‘Chain Smoke’ have a similar instrumental pulse. Dark and expressive in a way that employs the theme through a creative lens. 

In ‘Town of Tomorrow’, the blues form in the place where acoustics collide with classic rock riffs. And then the progression is so expressive and elaborate, each arc more and more indulgent than the last. By the end of it, you’ll be drowning in blues and thanking the band for it. ‘Tao Teh King’, and ‘Midnight’ are the same way, with instrumentals that gain definition and character gradually. It’s like building something. You get to be a part of it, the progression, the ideas and the creativity. 

Tracks like ‘Baby Come Home’, ‘Summertime’, ‘Dead of Night’, and ‘Thorn of Beauty’ all fall calm as they flow into the acoustic blues state of mind. The instrumentals are soft and mellow, so nuanced and contemplative. And with warm vocals, doting on ideas of love, darkness, beauty, and joy, the tracks are fresh and light. The blues are everywhere, swaying in the breeze, quietly enveloping the listening experience and the thematic unfolding. Listen Now! 

The album is available for streaming on popular sites like Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music! 

You can listen to ‘God of the Dead’ by Rosetta West here -