Evan Roth – The Way It Was EP

Evan Roth is a musician hailing from Los Angeles. Active since 2012, Roth has been mainly focused on composing music for television and film, as well as remixing songs from popular artists such as Lana Del Rey and the Killers. His past work includes scoring music for a Gold Peak Tea commercial and composing music for Billy Blanks, of TAEBO fame.

“The Way it Was” is Roth’s debut EP, taking a departure from composing in the background and putting himself in the spotlight.

The album opens with Overturn/City lights. From the beginning, we are treated to a very symphonic intro. From here, we can really get a sense of Roth’s cinematic influence. After the introduction, we are treated to what Roth describes as “alt-pop”. Roth’s voice is clear and powerful, and backed by alternative rock instrumentals, finished by a melodic piano on top. The first track has a very clear beginning, middle, and end. The chorus of “let’s go out tonight, dancing to the city lights” is very catchy. The sound would be very at home on Top 40 radio.

The second track, Walk Away, opens up with a very catchy, almost simple beat. Again, Roth’s voice is clear. We are then treated to a bass track that follows close to the simple drum beat, then layered with a muted guitar track. Later in the song, we hear a synth break, some backing vocals, but then are quickly back to the same pattern.
The third track “Silhouette” is a bit of a slowdown. Roth is classically trained in piano, and on this track, we really see that skill shine through. After this, we get a very dreamy, synthy interlude prior to the close of the album.

The last track is “The Way it Was”, the title track. Again, we are introduced by Roth’s classic piano. This is joined by a very cinematic orchestral sound.

In All, Evan Roth’s “The Way it Was” might not be for everyone. His voice is very strong, almost reminiscent of Michael Buble or other similar acts. Again, this music would fit in well on a Top 40 station. Roth’s debut as leading artist rather than composer might be a big gamble, but Roth proves he has the musical chops to run with the best of them. Not exactly my cup of tea, but for what it is, I think he really hits it out of the park. If he finds a way to market the hell out of this album, he could soon be a household name.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_99AysXSCcE

https://www.facebook.com/EvanRothMusic

Review by Dallas Hessel