Roslyn Moore
Roslyn Moore is an indie artist with an eclectic sense of the pop genre.
Tropic of Cancer: A Desert Opera is the kind of album that washes over you with its sense of melancholy. From the suburban setting of “The Burbs 17” with its adolescents left in a bland world of ennui to the love song “The Beach”, this album takes us on a sad journey. Starting with dissatisfaction with the world and ending with an acceptance of the status quo, one feels lost in this limbo that Moore is documenting.
The album maintains its mood by accenting the pop songs with crunchy guitar work, layered synth waves and dreamy vocals. Roslyn reminds me of Julee Cruise in her style and approach to pop music: a reserved spectator, even if she is the narrator. “Pretty Girls & Gin” and “Red Roses”, with its painful acceptance of continuing abuse, demonstrate this quality. Roslyn is a terrific vocalist, imbuing the narrator’s apparent lassitude with subtle emotion. While angst-ridden, the lyrics are honest, filled with self-reflection and canny observations.
“C.R.E.A.M.”, a nod to the Wu Tang Clan, features some eerie synth runs and guitar heavy with reverb. “Lost Girl” with its deep organ chords and slightly off key guitar notes comes off as a 60s Nico song. The squelchy feedback beat box section of “Hazy/Agents at the Ferris Wheel” drives you further into this disturbing vision of love. Due to its fuzzy surf style “Electric Pill Intermission” leads nicely into the desperation of “Motel 6”. While a dark study of desperation, “Suicide Note” equally balances black humor and despair.
Tropic of Cancer: A Desert Opera is an excellent excursion into new territory. If you are looking for pop music resembling Rhianna or Miley, look elsewhere. But if you like intelligent lyrics, diverse styles and killer performances, Roslyn Moore certainly fills that bill. As much as it is a somber opera, it certainly is satisfying.
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Roslyn Moore is an indie pop artist based in Minnesota. She records with Borderline Musick and explores pop, dream pop, shoegaze, indie pop, ambient pop, trip hop, electronic, sadcore and other genres. Her debut album “Hazy” was released May 15, 2016.
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