Music Street Journal - Music News & Reviews

Rome 56 Days of Carefree Living Review by Gary Hill I have seen this act listed as a punk rock band. I don't see that fitting based on this album. Sure, it does fit some (but not all) of the vocals. Musically, though, this is more good old fashioned rock music. There are no molds broken here, but this is well done. Tom Petty is a frequent reference, especially on the first half of the disc. I like everything here, but some of the music is stronger than the rest. Then again, isn't that last part true of just about every album? This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023 Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.

Track by Track Review

Days of Carefree Living This comes in with an acapella section. It drives out to more of a mainstream rock and roll approach from there. This is a solid rocker that works well.

Dirty Money There is almost a Beatlesesque vibe to this. It has some great retro stylings. This doesn't shatter any barriers, but it's just an effective number.

Platinum Girl I'm reminded of Traveling Wilburys to a large degree on this piece.

The Girl from Outer Space A slow moving tune, there are some hints of psychedelia here. This is also loaded with Tom Petty leanings.

Stranger on a Train I love the retro sound brought by the organ on this. The cut has a little bit of a punk sneer on the vocals, but overall this is another classic sounding rocker.

As I Stroll Through the Night A slow retro rock ballad vibe is on the menu here. The vocals have a bit of that punk angle to them.

A Happy Man This is such an interesting cut. It has some hints of 60s folk based psychedelia. There is also a European cafe vibe. This is one of my favorites here, without question. It's slow moving and mellow. It's also magical.

On Portobello Road I like this well enough, but it's not as strong as some of the others. It's a rather slow moving rocker that's competent, but doesn't stand out.

Coffin Song Now, this is tasty. It's a slow tune with some tastefully gloomy sound to it.

The Lime Café There is playful retro groove to this. The cut has plenty of folk rock in the mix.

In This Place An old time rock and roll ballad approach is on the menu as this gets going. There are some punky edges to the vocals, but overall this is just solid old-school rock music. I dig the guitar solo and the horns as it builds upward, but the cut is sort of an "also ran."

It's Raining in Paris An acoustic guitar based number, this is fun, but not a standout.

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