Roses – Roses EP

Roses, the self titled EP from singer/songwriter Matthew Scheuermann is a delicate and vulnerable exposition in stripped down emotion.  Taking a nod from 90’s era Elliott Smith, Scheuermann builds the EP’s three tracks upon a singular guitar and vocal platform.  The result is weighted, minimal and deeply engrossing.

The overall sound is simple but effective at helping Scheuermann maneuver Roses’ melody to his melancholy destination.  Sadness prevails at all times starting with the straightforward strumming of opener “Boys.”  Scheuermann leads listeners down a rabbit hole of grief as he moans defeatedly before raising to a slight falsetto.  His wispful chorus-call comes across with the wary poise of acceptance.  The somber imagery of longingly gazing out at the horizon after shattering your world’s boundaries is an overwhelming prospect that “Preacher’s” slow, heavy hearted lyrics and raw, vulnerable guitar capture coldly.

Thankfully the EP isn’t all gloom and doom.  Balancing out the darkness, “Summer Sounds” concludes Roses with the rhythmic, cheerful strum of uplifting guitar and buoyant, feathery piano keys.  Even if Scheuermann’s vocals remain sullen, it’s but a sliver of sunlight creeping through the shutters of a condemned building.  When contrasted against Roses’ mostly grey pallet of hidden shadows, “Summer Sounds” feels like a flood of sun through an open door.  

Roses plays a very particular brand of down-and-out emotional indie.  Combining Scheuermann’s wounded weeping with equally as hampered guitar strings makes for a rather depressing listen.  Thankfully though, an overall artistic vision and primary eloquence lifts the album above it’s weighted core and into a creative and appreciable form with plenty of room to grow from.