Earth trip

"Three Rose City Band albums in, the prolific Mr. Johnson has eschewed most remnants of psychedelia in favor of a full embrace of the project's country music leanings. With the exception of the closing "Dawn Patrol," that skirts the edge of a lysergic kick-in, the album is ripe with economic riffs, understated vocals and solos, and glistening pedal steel runs. That several of the songs recall earlier era classics only help to cement Johnson's dedication to the roots of this laid back pleasure of a listen. The opener, "Silver Roses," comes off as a melding of Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" crossed by Neil Young's "Helpless". And the bristling "Ramblin' With the Day" sounds like Woody Guthrie's "Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet?" having a friendly tussle with The Carter Family's "Sinking in the Lonesome Sea" in the middle of a forest clearing ... The proceedings overall mix the sound of David Berman's ironic instrumentation ("World Is Turning") with the insular feel of The Go-Between's Before Hollywood. Or some heady combination thereof ... From the slowly paced beauty of the penultimate track, "Rabbit," to more openly country tunes like "Lonely Places," Earth Trip is a joyful romp recorded in the quietest of days".

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"Rose City Band's third album maintains those impeccable vibes of lush country charm, with "Earth Trip" offering a series of beautiful moments, from stately organic opener "Silver Roses" to more uptempo pieces like "World Is Turning". There's a stoner country feel to many of these songs (...) - an ambient Americana that chimes with themes of nature and renewal, plus exceptional playing, from the cosmic wah-wah on "Lonely Places" to the guitar solo on "Ramblin' With The Day"".

"Where Summerlong, [Moon Duo/Wooden Shjips wizard Ripley Johnson's] second solo outing as Rose City band, conjured July-August joys in a warm sonic glow (...), this third one inevitably reflects 2020's bleaker outlook. "Silver Roses" opens with the bitter-sweet vibe of CSNY's "Helpless", complete with mournful lyrics (...) and Barry Walker's tear-jerking pedal-steel. While autumnal gems like "Rabbit" chime with recent months' universal experience of isolation and inertia, Earth Trip also mirrors the salvation many have found in nature, its gentle, J.J. Cale-esque country-rock tempos evocative of restorative rustic rambling".