Roman around, a groundbreaking musician challenging traditional norms, has released their album, “The Toll of Unconditional Love.” Known for their innovative blend of genres and thought-provoking lyrics, roman delves deep into personal experiences. Through their music, they offer a powerful exploration of love, loss, and the complexities of human emotion.
roman around is the name that Roman Rivera has used to share their music persona with the world. roman is constantly challenging the status quo, not only in their music but also in their personal life as well. Starting during their teenage years, roman made sure to expand their musical talents whether it was behind the drums, in charge of the beat making, taking the guitar, or in the front singing. Their experimentation has taken them to create a signature sound that blends hypnotic rhythms, hazy atmospheres, and shadowy textures which has led them to be compared to artists like Cocteau Twins or DIIV and gain the recognition of the press.
For their latest project, the already award-winning roman around combined grunge and jazz with delicate songwriting to dive deep into their diverse personal experiences with healing, acceptance, and resilience. They explain in more detail, “I delve into the emotional weight of maintaining unwavering love despite facing personal struggles and the challenges that come with it.”
The 11-track album was released via Trailing Twelve Records. It is a collage of elements that can take you from emotional howls to the bittersweet weeps of distorted guitars, creating an emotional and distinctive soundscape full of memories and reflection. Each of the songs in the album is an important piece in this journey.
Get it From You sets the mood for what the listener will experience in the next half hour. The dissonance of gritty electric guitar and languid percussion highlight roman’s words, which are thrown in the air like whispers, “How come I’m so naive / Acting like a machine / I know what you say to me, oh / You don’t mean.” roman laments on the difficulty of keeping hopes alive even when insincerity is evident. As it gets to the end, a solo saxophone takes the lead, perfectly complementing the production.
Next, it is the turn for Moves. Just like life, roman presents the truth without introductions, he starts the song by telling us “Krista was my best friend / 2010 felt like it never end / got her number while she’s in the hospital and now she’s dead.” This touching and honest track contrasts a deep sense of shock and grief with the high speed of 16th-note rhythms to reflect on the process of overcoming challenges and how people move on after community loss.
In The Thanks, roman takes the time to reflect on disillusionment and the complexities of family interaction The track blends funk and electronic influences resulting in a wonderful indie-pop production with jazzy elements that transmit the emotions of its subject.
For Out to Get Me, roman slows down the tempo. The melody mixes the sweet weeps of electric guitars, gentle percussion, and angelical chorus that reinforce roman’s words as soft as a conversation you have with yourself. “Is everyone out to get me?” wonders incessantly, increasing the feelings of loneliness and isolation the song transmits.
Right next, there is In Your Head. It creates a mysterious atmosphere from the very beginning to introduce a song that later strips down from ornaments and feels light and dreamy. The ethereal soundscape is created by roman’s distinctive voice, playful percussions, and choruses that appear in the appropriate moments to summon up memories from the past.
Lexapro became one of my favorites. The delicate and elegant sounds of the piano and soft cello, reminiscent of chamber music, perfectly convey the song’s mood.
Each piano note, paired with the melody of a soft cello transmits the delicacy and elegance of chamber music. However, the song’s mood isn’t light. The lyrics reveal the artist’s personal struggles in a deeply intimate way. Through their testimony, roman creates a touching portrait of what dealing with depression can be.
In Pity Party the ethereal guitars and shiny synths are the foundation for a devastating track. With its clever lyrics, Pity Party presents a critique of the tendencies present in today’s interactions, where it seems that the only thing that deserves attention is oneself. By taking as inspirations their own experiences, roman takes a deep look at the past, trauma, and society.
Take it Back is a mix of sorrowful distorted guitars that slowly blend with a shiny keyboard. In this track, roman has a conversation with someone who seems too far away to convince them to come back. The emotions, that for a while remained under control, scale until exploding in a visceral symphony that showcases the power of roman’s raw vocals.
In their next track, In a While, roman writes about the attempts to get close to people we once shared special bonds. With acoustic guitars and tambourines, roman evokes a sense of nostalgia but also creates a hopeful sound that invites to trust in the future and the possibilities it offers regardless of what once happened.
Close to the end of the album, No One Else resounds with its assertive message, the necessity of embracing the pain of past experiences. The artist explains, “‘No One Else’ is my love song that speaks to my desire for personal connection amidst personal turmoil. I express that I don’t just expect perfection, but I’m willing to travel through the roughest tides with my loved one. I explore the comfort I’ve found in this close relationship during difficult times”
Finally, the album closes with “Bedtime Story.” The song is a thick merge of synths, distorted guitars, metallic percussion, and electronic beats. The result perfectly transmits the avalanche of thoughts that take us in late walks when we miss a special one. The what-ifs create infinite stories with such devastating plots making sleep seem impossible.
Through their latest album, roman around has not limited themself to telling a story, but they have rather experienced the lows of life and made the listeners go through love, heartache, and nostalgia. “The Toll of Unconditional Love” is a reflection on the importance of untangling the pain of yesterday so we can be ready to face tomorrow with humor and hope.
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