Rodeo FM – All the Things You Asked For (2021)
Rodeo FM are following up their acclaimed 2020 album Upgrade of Truth with the five-track EP All the Things You Asked For. While the EP is made up of tracks from the same recording session as the album, they are far from the leftovers. Packed with a road-trip vibe, they have you yearning for the open road and the vast expanses of Laurel Canyon.
Using their unique style of alt-country meets indie rock, the band have been exciting fans for the last 15 years. From filling dancefloors in the south of France to rocking out at jazz festivals, they have used their music to expose the foul status quo of the world. With songs that are far more than first meet the ear, the band has you soaring on their sound while contemplating what each song has to say.
The EP opens with ‘Worthless Gain’ and the gentle roll of the acoustic guitar. This is met with a twanging alt-country tone that is all late nights on the open road with the street lights flashing past you. The vocals have the lightest twist of country woven into the steady and easy flow of folk-rock. The lyrics are poetic as they swirl around your head, and lead you to relaxing into the soundscape. This track perfectly sets the tone of the EP and offers the road-trip edge of the collection. While easy and rather chilled, there is a deeper meaning resting in the lyrics, just waiting for you to discover it.
The title track ‘All the Things You Asked For’ has a livelier and more upbeat feeling compared to the opening track. The music is packed with warm summer sun and the breeze that whips through your hair as you fly down the open road. As you listen to the music, you feel lighter and happier. This happiness is a little at odds with the lyrics at times. The perfectly balanced contrasts of the lyrics and music are masterful, while the vocals have you bopping from side to side. There is a lot of energy in this track that washes through your senses and puts a smile on your face.
‘Shame, shame, shame’ offers a retro tone with a sound that borders folk blues. The down-tempo vibes of the track is a wonderful drop from the last track and is really enjoyable. The plucked guitar tones and shuffling drums rub against your ears and lead you to the pulse of horns. For the down-tempo vibes, it is a really dynamic melody that has a lot going on. Resting over it are the laid-back vocals that have you thinking of someone sitting on the porch, looking out into the distance as they think about the lyrics.
The clapping tones that open ‘Where Does it Leave Us’ lead you to the gentle tones of the guitar. There is a rising feeling to the music as the layers of sound come together and carry the humming backing vocals. The piano line taps in before the vocals reminisce over ideals of the past and the dreams people had. There is a touch of melancholy to the vocals as they consider the feelings of dreamers in a consumer-driven modern world. As the lyrics look for a place for these people that hasn’t been taken before, there is a feeling that we are not alone in what we are feeling. This is woven into a look at the problems of the present day, and how dreamers of the past cope with this.
The EP comes to an end with ‘The Truth’ that sways through your ears with a classic country-folk ballad tone. In the lower levels, there is a touch of soft rock that eases the rough edges of your soul. The music lulls you into a warm embrace while the vocals remind us that the truth is what is really important. As with the rest of the EP, the lyrics have a certain poetic edge to them that adds power to the message they carry. The vocals breeze past you as they gently grab your attention and get you thinking about what they have to say.
Through the tracks of All the Things You Asked For, Rodeo FM fills your senses with pure Americana bliss, while touching on some heavy topics. Each track has a unique feeling as the band uses poetic lyrics to bring important topics to the fore. The vocals have a light old-school vibe as they softly sink into your senses.
Find out more about Rodeo FM on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
