Rose City Band’s music is sun-kissed timeless country rock whose seemingly effortless momentum carries the joy of its creation without ignoring the darkness pervading our consciousness. Led by guitarist/vocalist Ripley Johnson, the music of Rose City Band is rooted in his love of private press records of the mid to late 70’s. The band, in addition to Johnson, features pedal steel guitarist Barry Walker, keyboardist Paul Hasenberg and drummer John Jeffrey who enmesh a keen sense of rhythmic drive and melody with gentler, sumptuous atmospheres. Nuanced performances and interplay between players unfurl like desert flowers splashing color onto an arid landscape. The ensemble’s buoyant moments still glide with ease, but there is room to revel in respite of the shade of a dark cloud. Across the album, Johnson’s tasteful guitar interjections and soothing voice are met in kind with the versatile playing of Walker, Hasenberg, and Jeffery, with special guest performances by synthesist/vocalist, Sanae Yamada. Album closer “The Walls” perfectly captures the band’s explorative and expansive songs, Hasenberg’s soulful organ driving the album to an emotionally cathartic conclusion. Throughout his prolific career with Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo and now Rose City Band, Johnson’s music has consistently centered around exploration and discovery. Sol Y Sombra imbues his penchant for space and resplendent tonality with a denser amalgam of his influences through a delicate balance of the somber and the serene, of subtle evolutions and familiar sounds, Sol Y Sombra makes for a holistically joyous experience, finding solace in both sun and shade.
“It’s warm, airy and will relax your shoulders following three months of winter hunching.” - Guitar World
“Ripley Johnson has been responsible for some of the past decade’s most mesmeric and beguiling albums...Rose City Band might be the best of the bunch.” - The Guardian
“[Johnson’s] Rose City Band incarnation may be his most dazzling and uplifting so far...[Rose City Band] transforms the fuzz-drenched thrust of Johnson’s usual music into a beatific choogle, a modest but potent means of escape” - MOJO
“This jammy psychedelic country group injects live band energy and dynamics into an otherwise controlled studio creation... like Yo La Tengo jamming with Skull & Roses-era Dead...Johnson’s metered songwriting and warm, textural playing keep the project’s earthy spirit intact as it continues evolving with every new set of tunes.” - Allmusic
