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Been a long time, been a long time, been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely,
lonely time since a vastly recognizable artist broke out of the Cleveland, OH
music scene. Bouncing between new artist showcases and cultivating a grassroots
following from Baltimore to New Orleans, singer/songwriter Joe Rohan unveils 11
new songs on These Days. He’s got plenty of wood to chop, mind you, as
his catalog is not yet available on the Amazon.coms of the world. But with his
rich, abundant vocals and penchant for all things blues, country, and folk,
Rohan displays a level of comprehension and substance that so many before him
have not.
Relaxing, back porch melodies like “Blown Away” and “Angeline” merge guitar
measurements of slide and twang with immensely narrative vocals. Somewhere
between Rob Thomas and Lyle Lovett, Rohan’s croon is perfectly suited for these
soulful compositions. Quieter acoustic flashes like “James Dean” demonstrate his
ability to carry a song with voice alone. It would seem the jumpy, Counting
Crows-like “Desert Love” or equally catchy title track might be Rohan’s most
legitimate shot at breaking through commercially. Even the lackluster
“Lovestruck Romeo” and ballsy run at Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire” (the later
recalling Cheap Trick’s ill-advised remake of “Don’t Be Cruel”) do little to
derail his overall project.
Although Rohan has shared stages with big boys James Taylor and Dave Matthews,
the general lack of singer/songwriter exposure along FM radio waves will make it
increasingly difficult for a guy like this to sell his wares in larger markets.
What a shame. His knack for spilling stories about relationships and life
episodes serves as a beautiful companion to most of these bluesy, string-heavy
tunes. More surprising still was learning of Rohan’s prior gig as the drummer of
a local band in Cleveland. Can you say Dave Grohl?
~Red
Rocker
redrocker@bullz-eye.com
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