Rose Dorn are an indie pop band from LA, who earlier this year released a new EP, va. Songwriters Scarlet Knight, Joey Dalla Betta and Jamie Coster all provide vocals, swapping as lead across each of the EP’s three tracks, while Phil Hartunian steps in to play bass (as well as taking charge on recording, mixing and mastering).
‘Dirt’ advances in an easy sway, reminiscent of Free Cake For Every Creature in its ability to fuse everyday observations with heart-on-sleeve sincerity, painting the picture of a relationship that’s not as easy as the song sounds.
“I want to go
takes 45 minutes with the traffic to get home
here I’ll take off your coat
tell your best friend that you finally got me alone”
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Things are darker on ‘Goodboy’, which uses canine imagery to explore the shady side of relationships, the duo vocals presented in friction rather than harmony, while final track, ‘Heaven’ steps into a romantically retro sound, the melancholic pop vibe almost reminiscent of Mazzy Star. The song blossoms into crunchy alt-rock as the band sing,
“I wanna dive into you
you’re the bluest sea I’ve sever seen”
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Speak Later is a great little collection of tracks, and hints at the diversity of paths Rose Dorn could take next. Head to their Bandcamp page to get it.