Rodeola dropping a new album is always a cause for celebration, so go ahead and put on a funny hat, because it’s that time my friends. Those who know, know, but in case you don’t, Rodeola (formerly known as The Hollows) is where Kate Long unleashes her poetic atmospheric songs. Sometimes solo, sometimes with a full band, the constant is Long’s unparalleled voice – a richly textured and expressive instrument that is, well, just right. The latest release Arlene is Rodeola’s fourth, and finds the sound often pushed into hazier, dirtier and reverbed out tones for an album that feels like a step away from Long’s Americana roots and into an exciting singular space.
Some say that the only way to truly see your own country is through the eyes of a foreigner. Leave it to Glasgow dance punks Mickey 9s to summarize the current state of things in America (and by default the UK’s ever growing Americanization) with pinpoint perfection. We’d be offended if it weren’t so true and if the band didn’t deliver it in an absolutely infectious slab of Gang of Four inspired angular funk punk. But it is and they do, so all we can do is nod our head in agreement to the killer beat.
