Rose City Band – Garden Party

Rose City Band’s (RCB) new album, Garden Party, is a blissed-out Dead-inspired musical anodyne. In these stressful times we need safe and effective painkillers and Garden Party fits the bill perfectly.

I loved RCB’s self-titled debut in 2019. I was less enthusiastic about the sophomore Summerlong in 2020 and the third Earth Trip in 2021. It is not that those two albums were not good, they just didn’t thrill me like the debut. I ignored the latest, Garden Party when it came out this spring. Recently I listened to it again- it gripped me in a similar way as the debut – it is even better.

RCB was originally the brainchild of Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips and Moon Duo). It was a studio experiment and not really a band. Over time it has expanded from a studio experiment to a touring band. The studio “band” and the touring band are separate, but related entities. I have yet to see the band live, but evidently, they are great and this new album is said to capture some of the live magic in the studio.

Per the band’s label (Thrill Jockey):

“Rose City Band’s country psychedelic rock evokes the wide-open spaces of the American west and free spirits who call it home.“

The interplay between Ripley Johnson’s guitar and pedal steel guitarist Barry Walker (from the touring band) is gorgeous. In addition to the guitars, there is touring keyboardist Paul Hasenberg and synth-wiz Sanae Yamada (from Moon Duo) adding beautiful textures. Moon Duo’s drummer John Jeffrey holds it all together rhythmically.

The lo-fi sound of the debut is upgraded to Steely Dan-like perfection on Garden Party.

I am a fan of music that can both serve as musical wallpaper providing a gorgeous soundtrack and music worthy of active listening. Ripley Johnson and the band have achieved this high-wire act with Garden Party.