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A band named Roses Are Red on Trustkill Records? I was ready for an album's length of embarrassment and light vomiting. But, unlike their discomforting label mates, Crash Romeo, Roses Are Red maintains a venerable level of appeal throughout What Became of Me. While band pens some faulty lyrics and, yes, plays straight-up melodic rock, it's thoughtful and begins to stick after several listens.
Playing something like a toned-down take on Matchbook Romance's first couple of releases or The Juliana Theory-inspired rock, Roses Are Red is a restrained band that doesn't move too slow or too fast. The mid-paced, driving rhythms won't rip listeners out of their seats and into a dancing frenzy, but the band makes up for some lacking momentum with rich guitar interplay and a tasteful vocal performance. Guitarists Shaun Murphy and Tom Zenns work off of one another, often stacking layers of melodic, lightly distorted chords, winding picking sequences and delicate leads, and alternating between controlled verses and pulsing choruses.
Singer Vincent Minervino, despite some awkwardly dramatic moments, strikes a balance between soft, mid-ranged singing and confident, soaring hooks, which comfortably matches the shifting music. Brian McTernan produced What Became of Me and his style not only pronounces the strong vocals, but gives the entire album a savory warmth and well balanced thickness. It's squeaky clean but, like McTernan's work with Moments In Grace and Circa Survive, there's a unique texture.
Roses Are Red does a lot of melodic rock facets right. While What Became of Me has several parts that drag, it's not offensive and certainly not as bad as I expected it to be. Still, if this brand of music isn't your thing, Roses Are Red doesn't do anything that will change your mind.
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