Dreamlover by Roses

With their four-song debut EP, Dreamlover, recorded in L.A. by Alex DeGroot (engineer/keyboardist for Zola Jesus) and released on Group Tightener, Roses have waxed their sound down to a fine point. They blend shimmering guitars and power chords with washes of dreamy synthesizers and new-wave basslines on “Florence Girls,” like The Wake taking off in The Go-Go’s convertible. An air of New Romanticism and the influence of the Cocteau Twins can be heard on nostalgic ballad “The Fog.” Steinberg’s lilting croon sails on woozy keys and waves of distortion on “Icicle” and skips with David Byrne-esque abandon over a stuttering beat and walking bassline on pop jam “It’s Over.” With Dreamlover, Roses take up the mantle as one of L.A.’s next great bands.

Tracklist