AJ Rosales – Ultramarine / 2007 Novelty / 13 Tracks / http://www.ajrosales.com /
AJ Rosales has a little bit of a Chris Cornell sound to eir voice during the opening of “Ultramarineâ€, the track “Alone Againâ€. The instrumentation may be bouncy and jangly, but there is nothing too terribly new provided by Rosales here. The
The first track where it feels as if Rosales is going somewhere that is at least a little less trodden than the rest of the fare on “Ultramarine†has to be the title track, which has more of an alternative sound to it. This means that there are considerable linkages made between Rosales and the Barenaked Ladies, Blessid Union of Souls, and similar acts. With a number of the tracks on “Ultramarine†having the unfortunate tendency to run together, the sheer magnitude of this disc makes it incredibly hard for individuals to finish off the disc. The use of strings during “Letter to You†is the best inclusion on “Ultramarineâ€, as it gives the Rosales composition a dimension that is missing in virtually all of the other tracks on the disc. A track like “Brand New Offering†may have a soulful set of vocals and might be hard to distinguish from a Don Henley track, but there is nothing new, nothing that screams “Rosales†here.
That is the most major of problems with this album, and why individuals should hold out on purchasing a Rosales album until that time when ey finds eir “soundâ€. When this happens, I have no problems with believing that ey would be capable of an amazing album. Here’s to hoping Rosales can go back to the drawing board and create an album that I know that ey is capable of; keep an ear to the ground and be impressed when the stars align.
Top Tracks: Nominate, White Sunshine
Rating: 3.8/10