Despite a handle that doesn’t exactly bode well to become a household name, Tokyo Rosenthal has earned his credence as an Americana artist that deserves to be reckoned with.
After five exceptional previous albums, his latest, Afterlife, which he co-produced with longtime collaborator Chris Stamey, incorporates all the elements that have brought him kudos from fans and fellow musicians alike.
An unassuming artist in many respects, Rosenthal makes music that provides an immediate embrace, conveying a natural sway and savvy that frequently brings his avowed influences to mind: the Band, the Byrds, Indigo Girls, Gene Clark, and Emmylou Harris, among others. Still, to his credit, no single song here will garner any accusations that Rosenthal is deliberately imitating any of those sources. Rather, he applies lessons he’s learned well. Songs such as “The Bunk House,” “Bury My Ashes,” “Back Stage Hotel,” and “The Cold War” are naturally assertive and emotive at the same time.
While Rosenthal is known to do double duty with his radio show, his international reputation looms large, a fact that comes as no surprise considering his adherence to roots-rock precepts as displayed herein. Still, he is not above tossing in a surprise every now and then, as in the opening chords of “Shreveport,” which emulate the signature riff for the David Bowie and Queen duet, “Under Pressure.” Then there’s the unexpected French Horn he added to “All tn Time.” That’s the kind of thing that ought to give Afterlife the long life it deserves.