Ed Roman’s career is one of diversity, awards and recognition, starting in the early 80s in Canada, it is surely a consummatedand respected one. As an artist, he is an eclectic and experimental one, his music stands out for its carefully layered elements and fusions, like a mix and match of styles, but a thoroughly workedand arranged one. Now, in his latest endeavor as a solo artist, he presents “Red Omen“, a 13-track album that more than just anarray of songs, feels like a picturesque journey, full of earthysounds and relaxing melodies. Red omen is the opening song from the album and from the getgo, the journey begins, full of fun and quirky lyrics that almostfeel random but actually fall very well within the warm and uplifting instrumental. Then Tough Cookie comes through, cheeky and effortless, surely even more upbeat live. Itshows the personality of Roman very well and feels like a breeze. Next is I Wish the wolfman was back, which is a most definitely catchy and rock-infused gift for the ears, it is arguablythe most likely to keep you humming along and perhaps the most accessible from the album, even though the albumitself is very easy to pleasantly enjoy. I Am Love is a ragged-in-a-good–way defiant tune, with spot-on lyrics and percussions that stand out and littleelements here and there that add, not only depth but detail and personality to a song that’s already very full of it. Nothing too pretentious, just a straight forward, fun and encouraging message with bouncy sounds and playful vocalsto go along with. This song is also given an extended mix at the end of the album that is well worth it to lift your spiritsand accompany you through life. The way she goes is an exceptional acoustic song that could be called folk on its own within the range of musical stylesand fusions that Roman goes through in the album, it’s beautifully crafted by itself and the perfect companion to ThinkI’m just a fool, one that will surely paint a picture in your head of a relaxing place or a very pleasant memory. The wayhe layers the strings and uses them to create complimenting sounds without a sense of overwhelming instrumentsspeaks for itself. It’s a relaxed, yet well-worked-on song that leaves you wanting to play it during a particularly happyride to a sunny and comfortable place. Time itself is a strange piece, it will make you feel like it’s familiar but unique at the same time, it feels slightly messywithin its own experimental production but It’s a matter of an aquired taste. The elements are very denotative as everything ties up with the concept of time, quite literally. Clone the sheep is a statement to the capacity of diversifying sounds that Roman is very clear to have, it’s loud and punk. The very stand out in regards of style within the album. ETA is a song, so beautifully crafted it feels like it should be part of something very big, such as a scene in a motionpicture. It has that storyteller quality not all music manages to get even after being worked for a long time. It feelsclassical in a way that connects you to a mental scenery without asking for your permission. Nothing more to say is a very simple on the percussions and bass song that relies on Roman’s unique vocals followedby Lay one down, a very light-hearted and dreamy tune that continues contrasts a bit from the rest, and a very goodplace […]
