The Daily Spin, March 11
No Rome | Crying In The Prettiest Places
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Crying In The Prettiest Places (2019)
Artist: No Rome
Link:
There are a lot of imitators in the music game - and while, in many ways, it is the sincerest form of flattery, so often, it’s not done well, missing integral pieces forming the backbone of what creates a band’s specific sound. Imitators fall flat in this regard, shells of what they’re trying to be without the flesh inside to move them along.
No Rome is oft called an imitator of The 1975, and it’s not difficult to draw the comparison. Beyond their status as label-mates and a collaboration in the books, it’s the same soft alternative indie, emotionally weighty without being outright emo, heavy without veering too far into rock.
It’s ‘Cashmoney’ and ‘Pink’ where this similarity is most apparent, but rather than imitation, this feels like homage, building upon the foundations laid by The 1975 to grow into his own distinct sound - and that’s where songs like ‘5 Ways to Bleach Your Hair’ really shine, because it’s so clearly No Rome and that’s the touch that’s so glorious here.
Rating: 8.8/10
Best Tracks: 5 Ways To Bleach Your Hair; Cashmoney
Worst Tracks: All Up In Your Head