Rock in its most pure and raw form seems a rare commodity of late- either it’s got too much pop sheen or trying too hard to be twangy Americana. Bluesy psych rock that rings with charismatic frontman soul is back from none other than Nashville’s Oberon Rose.
On their new LP Purple, Blue & Crimson, Oberon Rose draws from a wide swath of the western canon, weaving together everything from folk, country, and blues to glam rock, and classic pop. Wherever the muse leads them, though, thought-provoking lyrical imagery and engaging melodic hooks are always at the forefront.
The story of Oberon Rose begins with two friends/artists in New York City, Tommy Oberon and Rebecca Rose. Their idea to collaborate on songwriting arose organically. Working on a song idea, Oberon found himself at a loss for words, so he asked Rose to help with the lyrics. “Young Goodman Brown”, the song that kicked off Oberon Rose’s debut album, was born.
Inspired to immerse themselves in the creative process of songwriting as a team, they decided to decamp to the solitude of Woodstock, NY to complete the album and start their own record label ThouART Records. After putting a live band together and gigging in and around NYC, Boston, New Haven and Providence, the songwriting duo completed the recording of their second album, Tell Me All About It.
They soon began work on their third record, Holographic Blues. As habitual wanderers, they relocated again right before the release of this album, this time to Nashville, TN. Drawing inspiration from their new hometown’s long musical history, Oberon Rose began work on their newest record, Purple, Blue & Crimson. Written by Oberon and Rose in their home studio, the record is a profound example of what attention to detail and a lot of patience can achieve.
“As with all of our records, I recorded, produced, engineered this record myself at our studio” tells Oberon. “It’s just a bare-bones project studio that is not much more than a computer, a top-quality interface, a small selection of decent microphones and some good instruments.” Yet, what they ended up with is a finely polished piece of pop art.
“In a very abstract way, to me, the album is about life, death and rebirth.” explains Rose. “I like lyrics that are open to interpretation. Two people can listen to the same song and have two very different ideas of what the song is about. That is what excites me about lyrics, the endless possibilities that the listener brings to them.”
Glide is premiering Purple, Blue & Crimson in its entirety. Fans of All Them Witches, Howlin’ Rain and Hawkwind will find this tight outfit and its psych flourishes a welcoming listen. We were certainly floored by this 34-minute howler with its potent guitar solos and echoey vocals. Purple, Blue & Crimson is set to be released January 20th.
