Justin Roeland is a singer-songwriter that neatly straddles the line between power-pop and alternative country. His songs certainly have some rock-and-roll “oomph” to them, but still feel firmly rooted in Americana. He recently released a new album in April titled Doomed to Bloom, and today we’re premiering the video for single “Neither Side.” The song and clip both perfectly highlight the most likable qualities of Roeland, who convincingly plays multiple versions of himself.
The song is rooted in a buzzy guitar riff topped with hypnotic arpeggios and Roelands laid-back vocals, adding just the slightest element of stoner rock to the mix. The calm of the mix is pierced occasionally by some shredding guitar interludes, creating an exemplar of noise rock.
The fact that Roeland is the singer, guitarist, bassist and drummer of a soon-to-break-up band is a bit of a parallel to his own musical career. For his new album he wrote and arranged, played and recorded most of the music himself. However, it’s unlikely he’ll turn down a tempting plate of his own homemade “Vegetable Metaly” like he does in the video.