The Rose County Ramblers are a country band based in Toronto, Canada who have been performing regionally for seven years. Jacquelyn Tober, the band's leader, grew up in a small town on the Alberta prairies where she discovered her passion for music. After finishing high school, Jacquelyn moved to Nova Scotia to study music professionally. During that time, Jacquelyn met her co-writer and guitarist, Ryan Butler. She was drawn to the colorful songwriting and storytelling of Nova Scotia and found a connection there to country music. It was then she realized the soundtrack to her youth and the musical parallels to home. The group's single "Shake", off their upcoming debut EP due March 28 2020, is great way to get acquainted with their immeasurable talent.
The song "Skake" starts with acoustic guitar eighth notes oscillating between the guitar's bass and treble strings. As the eighths notes move along, Jacquelyn enters singing with a pristine, inviting tone. "Love, love, love, love is all /Love is all, all I can give to you / Take, take, take, take it all / No there’s nothing, nothing I wouldn’t give to you." David Chan (Drums) enters on harmonies in the second verse - their two voices blend together very sweetly. An additional electric guitar adds delicate, smooth riffs around the melody.
Soon, the song blooms towards the chorus with engaging percussion and expert guitar layering. The catchy chorus has a highly memorable melody that stays in your head.
"Shake, shake, shake me to my bones
And if this all starts to fall apart, find me a new home."
After the chorus, a fantastic bridge section showcases the bands' superb musicianship. The percussion picks up the intensity and a nice off-beat groove on two and four emerges. The ballad turns into a mid-tempo country tune you can clap your hands to with the bass adding a tight groove. Ryan's guitar playing is simply stunning as he expertly weaves around the vocal melodies, never intrusive and always tasteful. He is a smooth guitarist who knows the art of nuance.
Written by Joy Phillips, "Shake is one of the most refreshing country songs of the year, "and serves as an extraordinary taste of what's to come on Jacquelyn Tober & The Rose County Ramblers' upcoming EP. The band shakes up country music up with loads of artistic nuance, stunning musicianship, and the award-winning gorgeous vocals of Jacquelyn Tober. There is simply never a dull moment in the song's arrangement and at the same time the melodies resonate with a traditional feel that sticks with you long after you hear it.
For more information on Jacquelyn Tober & The Rose County Ramblers, please visit their website.
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