AJ Rosales
This collection of songs was over two years in the making and his live performances of the songs have been eliciting enthusiasm from a diverse fan base.
His previous releases: Ultramarine, Resistor, the Earth and Shoal EP, and Daughter Product (Fatigue) have garnered college and mainstream radio airplay and have impressed critics, leading to performances across the US and in his hometown of Chicago.
Listen & Share: "If Not Today"
His style is not easy to classify, perhaps "progressive acoustic" is the best term, but he’s playing has been compared to the rhythmic approach of Pete Townshend, the emotive delivery of Cat Stevens, the experimental explorations of Robert Fripp, the expressiveness of Bob Mould, and the soulfulness of Nick Drake. Ultimately, he delivers his own unique hybrid sound, blending multiple genres into a cohesive and modern sensibility that sounds like "AJ."
The new album: Manifestations - is a collection of handcrafted lyrics, astounding melodies, and emotive musicianship that makes you feel something visceral. Manifestations were written and produced between 2018 and 2020, rekindling AJ's love of performing after nearly eight years away from the stage. He explains: "...these tunes poured out of me and I found myself wanting to connect with live audiences by playing them, something that hadn't taken place in a long while."
The album was produced by AJ with a very organic approach, featuring Jeremy Cunningham on Drums, Scott Pazera on Bass, engineering and mixing by Doug McBride, and Mastered by Oli Morgan at Abbey Road Studios. From the angular rock tones of "Summoner", to the lush string arrangements of "On The Cusp", to the heartfelt earnestness of "Waves" this album is an aural journey that you'll want to repeat.
Rosales, who has been playing guitar since his mid-teens, has opened for the international touring acts Vertical Horizon and Modern English and one of his previous singles, "Sweetest Thing" (from the 1999 EP The Earth and Shoal), was included on CMJ's Certain Damage CD and was featured on WBEZ in Chicago. The title track from his 2004 album Resistor received airplay on WXRT and won glowing reviews from the Illinois Entertainer, Americana UK, and Left of the Dial.
Listen & Share: Manifestations
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