How long will it take for the indie band from Minneapolis,  Romantica, to gain some national attention for their music? I asked that question of myself after hearing their newest album, America. It is the second album that they have released, and it is a giant step forward from their previous album. After sounding a bit too much like the Wallflowers or the Jayhawks they have pushed forward with their own sound. 

It is flavored with the Americana sound, and it will remind you of many great musicians. Americana is hard to define because it is a mix of musical genres such as alt-country, folk, blues and other styles. You will hear on this album the influences of Springsteen, Johnny Cash, and the '70’s band America. Romantica dances around various these styles of music mixing them superbly for a unique and interesting sound. One moment a toe tapping song and the next song will be a contemplative ballad. But, each song is well crafted with poetical lyrics that cause the listener to think and introspect the meaning. 

One of the first songs to pop out at you is the song, "The National Side." It is an odd mix of Johnny Cash styled guitar strumming away and a Mexican sounding horn section. It is an interesting mix of genre’s that encourages you up off your feet. The song is an upbeat and humorous song about his family moving to the USA. Ben Kyle, expressing the difficulties for some of them in the transition. Throw in a nifty twang of a guitar and Zydeco styled accordion that keeps the rhythm train like pumping throughout the tune, you find a real masterpiece on the album. Towards the end of the song you will find yourself singing along, it’s just a fun tune. 

Then the tenor of the album starkly changes to a picked guitar ballad, "Drink the Night Away."  It is a delicate and lovely tune that emanates a sorrowful tune. It is one of the songs that has a Spiritual side that talks about the source of salvation. Or is it just a song about drinking? That is the clever type of writing you find on the album, ones that cause you to consider what they are singing like good poetry. 

At other times on the album you have love songs, like the radio friendly, "I Need You Tonight." Relationships are a common them in their music, usually in reference to a woman they love. The album has a pop country kind of a feel to it, with harmonica and jazz like melody on guitar. 

The song, "God Walks On Water," is an interesting tune that pulls out many emotions. It talks about hardships of life and who has been there with us. It is a song that sounds like driving on a country road in the fall. It moves along with a slow strum on guitar, and a country whine on violin. There is a kind of sad emotion that comes out. The answer to the feelings comes in the last verse of the song, 

God walks on water, 
I walk through the rain, 
One day were gonna walk together
When He comes back again. 

I believe this is one of the strongest albums I have listened to this year. It is worth your time to check out and give it a listen. The album deserves some serious attention as a work of musical art.  

By Robert W. Blake