Agua Roja Keep It Sweet In "Roses"

Sometimes you have to play it safe to kick things off, but not without keeping your own sound in the mix. Agua Roja keep it sweet in Roses, a short but sweet EP that nicely shows off their blend of alternative and pop.

Roses begins big by establishing its anthemic vibes. 'Be Alone' opens with dramatic vocals and reverberating synths and guitars, the choruses roaring to life with the confident exclamation of "I think it's time I let you know I'd rather be alone." Agua Roja take themselves back from an unwanted situation in a strong way, but title track 'Roses' follows up with the perspective from the other side. Rather than being the divider, the narrator of this song is the one being broken up with. The first verse hits painfully, singing "I didn't care about the roses until you stopped sending them to me... I wanna feel your body next to me." The song has a gentle wave of drive to it, smoothly swelling and falling down perfectly in tune with the emotions.

Roses is a breakup EP of sorts, both not just about love. It inspires both confidence and tries to get in tune with pain. 'Waves' returns to the the optimism of the opening track with a confident, Katy Perry-like bombast. It's the sound of rising up out of a tough situation and moving ahead. It is followed by 'Deep Waters,' which is much less confident and much more lost, searching for an answer to escape the sinking feeling of being buried by troubles. Closing track 'Lord' returns back to the idea of a relationship falling apart, ending the EP on a sobering note, each person walking away from each other and not turning back. It's a pained ending, but it leaves open the possibility of the future ahead.

Agua Roja keep it sweet in Roses, the French outfit's new EP that deals with both the good and bad sides of hardships. Whether it be love or just being caught in a rut, Agua Roja channel their real emotions into the music and make it feel alive in a bittersweet way.

Favorite Tracks: Roses, Lord, Be Alone

Least Favorite Track: Waves

Rating: 86 / 100

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