Sol Y Sombra

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 the 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, with 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 centred 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 sombre 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.