Kent England duo Rosko Piko presents some beautifully crafted Americana on their debut album.
You can describe the sound of a certain band/artist in a few words, or some might warrant a more detailed explanation. For the Kent-based duo Rosko Piko and their debut album ‘Beautifully Wasted’, the first thing which springs to mind is that great Ry Cooder song – ‘Smack Dab In The Middle’ of the real Americana sound. Now here’s the detailed one – the duo’s Ross Bell, an ex-British Army officer who has had his fair share of challenges in life, has got an enormous number of stories to tell and along with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Ross Power, they demonstrate that their band Rosko Piko has got that essential element of Americana – great storytelling coupled with sometimes good, often excellent musicianship to back it up with.
The duo’s take on Americana doesn’t specifically tie its sound to either country or rock (the Allman’s like ‘Steelfire Woman’) or whatever is usually included within that sound, but they do have a penchant for that soulful element often found in the music of the greats like Dan Penn or even John Hiatt. This can be particularly acutely heard in songs like ‘Story of My Days’ or ‘ I Am Undone.’
Yet it is not a sound that Rosko Piko tries to replicate or something that comes through detailed listening but one that seems to come naturally to the duo – a pure feel. It is all tied to Bell’s way with words which is lifted by Power’s strong songwriting and exceptionally skilled playing. This ties it all up in a neat musical package which will delight Americana fans everywhere.
