
Establishing their musical dexterity further, Chicago-based Rosetta West pays an ode to folk and blues with an impressive mettle: "Night's Cross" is their second album available on all major streaming platforms, committed to exhibiting their persistent methods to craft quality records. Consisting of twelve tracks, the independent alias achieves a nuanced variety— be it the thrumming blues rock numbers or the more introspective tunes, this independently operated group's latest efforts are worth discussing.
Formed in the 90s, Rosetta West has garnered a positive reputation in the underground scene of Illinois— itself a thriving nucleus of soul, blues, jazz, and more. Donning a mystic aura, the band has opted to stay out of commercial spotlights and hold fast to an outlier status. Although this music marketing model would mean limited success for many, but not for Rosetta West: their Spotify reveals listeners from across the globe (with fans spanning across continents, from Argentina to New Zealand) and thus far, they have accumulated thousands of plays from the discography uploaded online since 2024.
"Night Cross" takes cues from its parent album "Labyrinth," encompassing everything from Country to Blues in a lush melange of styles. In the opening track “Save Me,” grainy and resonating guitar riffs are played out, and the vocals convey a sardonic panache to the energetic composition. Slightly afterward, "Dora Lee" is a brisk Country tune, complete with the jangly chords dispensed from an acoustic guitar as an electric one complements alongside. The vocals here are a lively affair, gutsy and blues-heavy. The adjoining track "Diana" creates a haunting atmosphere with ethnic percussions and spacious strings on an off-kilter groove.
The band has more fun in the swampy "Alligator Farm"— the rollicking vocal rendition is upbeat over the jingling consonance of the guitars, forming an earthy and raw tune. "Desperation" is another standout among the others, using an array of organic percussions and crossing into an experimental, world music domain. Almost serving as an explosive finale, "Baby Doll" is a classic blues/hard rock number with muscular, grungy shreds and a gritty performance, not shying away from being cathartic and raucous.
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