The internet age has allowed music fans unprecedented access to new music from all over the world. Whether it’s new releases from old favorites or new bands releasing great music, there’s a lot of great content out there. That’s definitely the case with The New Roses and their sophomore album, One More For the Road. Their album came up with a recommendation for me on a streaming service. When I heard it, I knew I have to review it.
First off, if you’d told me where these guys hail, I would’ve guessed American South or Midwest, or maybe Canada. I would never guess Wiesbaden, Germany! Frontman/guitarist, Timmy Rough; Guitarist, Norman Bites; bassist, Hardy; and drummer, Urban Berz look and sound like a classic hard rock act in the vein of early Black Crowes, Rose Tattoo, and Aerosmith. This album checks all my boxes when you talk about solid hard rock. Can you call it southern rock if the band is from Germany? If it sounds as good as The New Roses then I really don’t care where they come from!
The album begins with “Quarter To Twelve” and it’s a great lead-off track. A big riff that leads to open verses and sing along chorus. Really sets the tone of the album which leads to “My Own Worst Enemy”, a sleazy rocker full of attitude. Now it’s time to take a walk with “Forever Never Comes”, a track with lots of swagger and big gang vocals on the chorus. Now we’re four tracks in with “Dancing On A Razor Blade” and there’s no stopping. “Dancing On A Razor Blade” is very catchy and the verses feature a cowbell. If you don’t know this yet, there’s never been a bad song with a cowbell.
“Consider Me Gone”, Timmy does some fast talking vocals over some great jamming guitar work. It reminds me of our Memphis friends, Tora Tora. The next track is the reason I wanted to review this album, “Life Ain’t Easy (For A Boy With Long Hair)”. You wouldn’t know it if you saw me now but I was a long-haired rocker growing up in rural Idaho and while there is there are a lot worse situations, I had put up with all the garbage that went along with being a long-haired rocker in a small town. They hit the nail on head capturing the experience many of us rockers have felt.
We’re in the middle of the album and we get the big single from the album, “Every Wild Heart”. This track has been getting a decent amount of traction and for good reason. It’s a great track rocking and very catchy. With so many great tracks, I’m sure the problem was what do you go with as a single. They made a good choice.
After burning through seven tracks, “Fight You Leaving Me” slows it down a bit with a great ballad. Again I’m floored at how well The New Roses own the southern feel. This is a great ballad that slows things down while not killing the momentum of the album. It gives some flavor to the album. Up next is “The Same Moon”, which starts out with a little bit of a sample-like drum groove and then blasts into the rest of the track. “The Same Moon” has more of a groove than the earlier tracks but it still delivers on the rocking. “Piece By Peace Of Mind” is a barn burner that’s probably the heaviest tracks of the album. The “final track” is the title track. “One More For The Road” is a reflective send-off. Yet again fully embracing the southern feel with distinctively southern phrases like “pig and a poke”. They even throw in some B3 organs to fill out the sound.
The album continues on with three “bonus tracks”: “Do I Look Scared To You”, “The Storm”, and “Nitro Nights”. I’m not sure why these tracks are listed as bonus. They are available in all formats including vinyl. There’s no information why they aren’t just tracked with the rest of the album. Honestly, I wish they had just integrated them into the album as it diminishes the placement of “One More For The Road” as the closer. As far as tracks go they are just as good as anything else on the album. “Do I Look Scared To You” and “Nitro Nights” are solid rockers and “The Storm” is a little more ambitious offering as more of a mid-tempo epic.
One More For The Road is a great album. It’s one of my top ten albums of the year. The New Roses are a great new band that you need to check out.
