Tyler Rojas also known just as Rohas when he creates music, is a concept artist and musician from Bakersfield, California. Today I will be reviewing his latest release ‘I’m Not Okay’, an EP which dropped in October 2019. It takes a look at a hard period in the artist’s life, or as Rohas describes it, “It’s a deeply personal look into the last 2 years of my life while I struggled with addiction”.
‘The Next Time’ serves as an introduction to the narrative woven throughout the entire EP, and it’s quite powerful, even though it’s just a candid conversation, it holds this weight that kinda just caught me off guard, and it leads perfectly into the next track as well.
‘Designer Drugs’ as another interesting track, the opening is very synth driven, and each word is hand picked for maximum impact, and even when it kinds breaks away from the synth to a more natural vocal part, it’s still so powerful, Rohas has such a melodic voice that just breaks my heart, it’s smooth and soft and fits perfectly with this electronic, daydream haze of a track, that dips back and forth between styles perfectly to compliment the track in the best possible way.
‘Dreams’ I’m not usually a fan of the casual convo soundbytes before a track, often bands/artists will use them in an effort to show how quirky or subversive they are, but for the purposes of this EP they work really well. I also like how they are their on inbetween interludes, that provide context and build, it’s an interesting fusion of a very real human element, mixed with music, as a powerful storytelling tool.
‘Human Animal’ is a little different, the melody and overall tone, changes things up, it shows progression which again fits well with the narrative element I was talking about earlier. It also shows a different phase of Rohas dealing with things, a different emotion, more confrontational and it works incredibly well.
‘Cut Ties’ I like how despite the core of Rohas’s journey, which I feel is regret and a real struggle, he’s not afraid to inject energy into these tracks, it’s not all melancholy, it has a deep vibrancy about it which I feel works well to get things across.
‘No One Gets It’ as I mentioned, not usually a fan of bits like these, but I’m really coming to look forward to them, they are expository and really feel raw and honest, and as someone who has had close relationships with several recovering addicts over the years, it really rings true.
‘R U Listening’ I’ve talked about the quality of the music, and Rohas’s voice, but I haven’t covered the smooth transitions of the tracks, even more impressive still when you consider that they have several interludes between them, you’d think this would upset the flow of the EP, but honestly it really worked for me, it felt like one fluid, cohesive, brilliantly performed, and deeply emotional EP.
‘The Devil’ as I mentioned above, my own life has been profoundly influenced by addiction, and this part, brief as it was really resonated with me, and I’m not afraid to admit, because I could feel something in it, I really teared up at it.
‘Opening up Is Hard’ I don’t usually comment on the lyrics, not sure why, it’s just not how I tend to do these reviews, but I really have to give props to Rohas, he really knows how to turn a phrase, he knows how to evoke things, and he makes it all work so seamless. Lastly, I just want to comment on how each track is unique, but works well together as one larger piece, it’s truly a work of art, and I’m incredibly glad I got the chance to hear this EP.
So that’s what I thought of Rohas’s EP ‘I’m Not Okay’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. Make sure and support Rohas by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
First Published on: https://offtherecordblog.org/
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