Jesse Roper
Red Bird
(Warner/Blue Heron Music)
1/5
Despite Victoria songwriter Jesse Roper’s obvious instrumental and vocal talent, his self-indulgent music on Red Bird reminds me of a cover band you might find at a backyard BBQ celebrating an over-the-hill birthday.
Red Bird starts off with a folk sound, moves into a soft-rock lull, briefly falls into a ska-esque intermission (honestly, the better part of the album), then Roper gets lost in a love-song lullaby fit to make ears bleed.
Maybe he should stick with the not-quite-Rush sound, as it makes more sense than this eclectic playlist of an album, especially “The Good Life,” which, oddly, mimicked the Seinfeld theme song.
It feels like Roper is simply showing us a portfolio of what he is capable of as an artist. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that he will gain any new fans with Red Bird.
I would be curious to see a live performance by Mr. Roper because Red Bird isn’t living up to the recognition he has received as a Victoria artist.
Better luck next time, bud.