RIP Indo Hisashi’s luxuriant new-wave R&B thrives under the post-pop influence of producers Matty Healy and George Daniel (The 1975), though still shows reverence to Gomez’s shoegaze stylistic roots. On his SoundCloud Rome Gomez describes No Rome as “an art project… a personification of teen love, melancholy & everything in between”. It is here we can explore Gomez’ perhaps more hidden backcatalogue, uncovering silken slow-jams like ‘flowers on my neck / breaking’ and ‘blue jeans’. Just like any artform his music thrives on honesty, and his artistic development is utterly cosmic.
The EP opener ‘Do It Again’ is a dreamy bedroom-pop jam that both narrates and spirals, telling of a broken relationship, invoking Gomez’ personal struggle with trusting a cheating partner. The repetition of “she said she wouldn’t do it again” leaves us questioning who Gomez is trying to reassure for her actions- himself, or the listener. The track is poetically resolved, transitioning from background murmurs of “I don’t know what she’s dreaming of” to “I know what she’s dreaming of”- the cycle is broken.
Honesty. Silken. Promising. ‘Narcissist’ is the only outward collaboration with The 1975 on the EP, yet perhaps this is paramount, as both artists complement each other so well that at times throughout this track Gomez and Healy are barely distinguishable – one might criticise just how much control Healy&co. have taken in the production of this record.
Concluding the record with Saint Laurent, creative control is clearly in the grips of Gomez as he sees through his EP’s resolve. Saint Laurent offers hyper-modern slick beats and guitar licks with a contrastingly mellow outro, filled out with an indulgingly catchy-yet-simple chorus.
Since signing to Dirty Hit, No Rome has attracted a critical buzz and it is easy to see why: in such a vastly growing, corporate controlled Westernised industry, genuine new and independent sound rarely emerges, less so at such an exceptional standard for a debut .
The up-and-coming artist is set to support The 1975 on their forthcoming tour.
Image: Courtney Emery via Flickr