Artist: Greg Roensch: acoustic guitar and vocals; Carly Bond: electric guitar and vocals; James Riotto: bass and synthesizers; Robert Shelton: keyboards and synthesizers; and Jason Slota: drums and percussion; Also Featuring: Crystal Pascucci: cello on ‘Celluloid Dream;’ and Andrew Dixon: saxophone on ‘Grasshopper’
EP: ‘What’s in the Meaning of That Cloud in the Sky;’ Recorded at Tiny Telephone (Oakland and San Francisco); Produced by: John Vanderslice; Mastered by: Jacob Winick
Writing powerful and engaging commentary on how they view modern life and the surrounding world that supports it is one of the most endearing qualities and abilities of any musician. Singer-songwriter Greg Roensch is doing just that with his recently released 13-track indie rock album, ‘What’s in the Meaning of That Cloud in the Sky.’ In honor of the San Francisco-based musician’s unveiling of the contemplative and heartfelt record, a four-song promotional EP that offers a thoughtful and quirky insight into his eclectic new collection has been released. Much like the full-length album, the EP also presents an earnest look into his thoughts on love, and the lengths people must take in order to preserve those romantic connections in an ever-changing world.
The poetic and spiritual melancholy that drives the ‘What’s in the Meaning of That Cloud in the Sky’ EP is captivatingly showcased on its first entry, ‘Grasshopper.’ As one of the best tunes on the collection, the song features sultry and funky guitar riffs and drum beats, as well as elegantly subtle percussion, which support Roensch crooning about a woman he loved, who didn’t stay long enough to form a serious romantic connection with him. Singer-instrumentalist, Carly Bond, also enthrallingly infuses the track with the woman’s perspective on the things that are preventing their happiness, and how their dreams are no longer quite within in their reach. The slow and steady tune also ponders if people’s memories truly reflect how things happened, as well as how people wish they acted in those situations.
‘Grasshopper’ then delves into the second entry on the ‘What’s in the Meaning of That Cloud in the Sky’ EP, the beat poetry song, ‘Don’t Forget to Pack Your Hand Grenade.’ The laidback, jazz-funk song reflects on the fractured and frazzled lives people are leading, as they feel as though they have so much to accomplish in a short period of time.
The EP version of ‘What’s in the Meaning of That Cloud in the Sky’ then begins to wind down with its penultimate track, ‘Tell It Like It Is.’ The soulful, blues-tinged tune features Roensch contemplating what’s going on around him, as he declares that he wants the person he loves to tell him the truth, as he longs to know the meaning of every word she says. The entry, which features the musician crooning the title of the record as a line in a verse, is an intriguing take on the traditional love song, as he refuses to be surprised by the person he’s involved with; he instead wants to know every distressing detail about her.
The final tack that Roensch included on his ‘What’s in the Meaning of That Cloud in the Sky’ EP is ‘Celluloid Dream,’which further proves how versatile he is as a singer, songwriter and instrumentalist. Featuring his ambitious acoustic guitar, which helps create a sense of narrative storytelling that rivals the musicians of the classic rockers from the mid-to-late ’60s, Roensch croons about his ideal actress that graced the silver screen during the early era of films. The title celluloid reflects his dream of romantic love that isn’t easily rivaled, which helps makes him just as immortalized in society as the woman of his dreams.
Having the ability to compose relatable and alluring commentary on how they view modern life and the surrounding world that supports it is one of the most captivating qualities that any musician can possess. Roensch is proving his capability to do just that with his ‘What’s in the Meaning of That Cloud in the Sky’ EP. The singer-songwriter’s contemplative and profound new album offers a thoughtful and quirky insight into his thoughts and views on love, and the lengths people must take in order to preserve those romantic connections in an ever-changing world.
For more information on Roensch, visit his Twitter and Instagram pages.
