Psych-infused alt-rockers Rosetta West compel listeners to immerse themselves in the swampy grit of their new album, Night’s Cross, which dropped days ago on January 16th, 2025.
The Chicago-based band has been on the underground scene since the 90s. Their distinctive blues-adjacent rock sound that pervades each album is the result of the collaborations of Joseph Demagore (guitar, vox), Jason X (bass, keyboards), and Nathan Q. Scratch (drums). Their newest album features 12 unapologetically gritty tracks, each featuring roaring electric guitars, driving rhythms, and powerful vocals.
Tracks of note include the fifth song, “You’ll Be The Death Of Me,” which opens with a plucky, up-tempo riff that underscores Demagore’s vocals as he cries out: “Dora Lee, Dora Lee / You’ll be the death of me.” The track explores a relationship with Dora Lee, a recurring character on the album. Even as Dora Lee turns away, he sings “I love you so / When you turn to go / You’ll be the death of me.” The guitars — though only lightly overdriven — convey the weight of the song by following the melody, from low thrums to high strummed solos.
The following number, “Alligator Farm,” opens with a playful slide guitar and a sample of an alligator bellow, dropping the listener directly into the scene. The song recounts the “salvation” of meeting lovers in the swamps, the tryst recounted throughout the track. The woody acoustic guitar is supported by the deep growl of the bass, driving the song forward with traditional delta blues-style accompaniment.
In “Cold Winter Moon,” the blues-rock is traded for a predominantly acoustic track, heralding the midpoint of the album. Demagore shows off his dynamic range, his tender vocal lines complimenting the softness of the guitar. The lyrics reflect this tenderness, recounting a story of loss and the pain of new love: “Tell me do you see the man you used to love / At night when you look into my eyes.”
Another standout track, “Oh Death,” contrasts the rest of the album, both tonally and sonically. A clean acoustic guitar lilts alongside the vocals, trading the bluesy rock of the rest of the album for a pleasant ballad directed toward the character of Death. Reminiscent of funeral songs like The Parting Glass, “Oh Death” explores the hopeful role that death plays for all of us: “Oh Death, Oh Death / How could you leave to run and hide / I thought you’d leave me here.” Death’s presence is not one of fear, but of comfort – a promise that Death will not abandon us, even if it hides out of sight.
Rosetta West’s discography, including this album, can be streamed on Bandcamp or Spotify.
