x

Alain Rozan / Press

“On this new single, Rozan delivers a one-two punch in his lullaby accessible to a child but that showcases a deeper, heavier subtext for a listening adult. Rozan hits with his beautiful songwriting. “The Bogey Man Can’t Rock ‘n’ Roll” is a song that drips with deeper meanings. Lines like “Woke up in a sweat and now you’re wondering/How come there are bad people in this world” echo with a sight that’s looked into the future of these children and seen the inevitable pain that lies before them, pain that, in some ways, they’ll never escape. Likewise, as he sings, “I won’t always be there, you won’t always be strong,” older listeners will shiver with the emotion of that insight, knowing the pain of loss and failure that’s to come. It’s not necessarily an encouraging tale but it is an all-too honest one.His gorgeous raspy voice is way is a forefront which was a problem for me but over all this is a solid listen. Rating: 2.5 stars out of 4”

“Alec Cunningham is a journalist and freelance writer from Knoxville, TN. She currently works for the Music section of Blank Newspaper, Knoxville’s longest-running independent publication. writing musician interview articles and album reviews. s as editor of the Frontier Magazine. By now, it’s become clear that any type of rock music musician Alain Rozan decides to take on will come out...rocking! In his previous release, Riding The Wind, he tackled everything from blues to rock ‘n’ roll, Rozan still retains his gruff vocals and his essential style, but he takes it up a notch and digs deeper into the vein of early rock ‘n’ roll by producing a song that is pure rockabilly. This rough and tumble style of music works well for the nature of the song. It’s got such a gritty, infectious, salty sound that you might just get the feeling you’re being transported to some smoky Beale Street dive bar while listening.”

"Histoires D’Amour" is an acoustic-based album with a decidedly European flair, enhanced by Rozan’s exquisite voice. Rozan’s voice carries the melody beautifully, with the ample yet understated support of bass, percussion and accordion. Likewise, the guitar work from Erik Della Penna is tasteful and heartfelt; a combination of rhythmic strumming and Spanish-influenced picking. Rozan’s vocals are fervent and raspy, perhaps evoking a bit of Oh Mercy-era Dylan. The sympathetic touches of fretless bass, cello, accordion, guitar and percussion offer suitable support. The musical accompaniment is characteristically understated, while the rare use of accents here provides fitting depth. Alain Rozan succeeds with Histoires D’Amour by rendering an artful yet accessible body of natural-sounding songs, encompassing folk, jazz and world beat elements. Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

“Alain Rozan & the Reprobates "Boogie Woogie" In his latest release "Boogie Woogie", Rozan reaches back to ‘60s America in songs like “Too Big to Bop,” Rozan also takes a dive into the American South with his track “N’Awlins Two Steps.”, a tribute to the great city of New Orleans with a deep knowledge of classic American rock and roll, On “Le Banc de Pierre,” Rozan returns to his native French mixing the lyrics with a Reggae groove that is laid down by the guitar. Rozan also breaks things up with the instrumental song “Raisin’ Heaven in Hell,” where the guitar and accordion take center stage during this entertaining tune. Overall, "Boogie Woogie" leads the listener down different musical paths while keeping them locked together with Rozan’s artistic personality and musicianship. Review by Matthew Warnock Rating: 3.5 Stars (out of 5) ”

““Man of No Importance”/“Never Leave the Moon” (Single) Review by Alex Henderson 3.5 stars (out of 5) Both songs demonstrate that after 31 years in the U.S., Rozan has no problem expressing himself in English. Rozan, at this point, sings with only slight traces of a French accent, and on noth songs, he favors a gentle, laid-back, pastoral folk-rock approach.“Man of No Importance,” which is about one of society’s underdogs, is very much in the troubadour tradition. Rozan is an effective storyteller, and he has no problem bringing the character to life. “Man of No Importance” is performed in a spare, minimalist acoustic setting, which is a plus because that approach really makes Rozan’s vocals and lyrics stand out. And the use of acoustic guitar also serves him well on “Never Leave the Moon.” That song is an appropriate companion for “Man of No Importance” because it also deals with loss and disappointment. Rozan has rocked out on some other recordings but his ”

"Riding The Wind", Review by Alec Cunningham Rating: 4 stars (out of 5) For a French man, Alain Rozan sure knows a lot about Rock and Roll. His album "Riding The Wind" transverses all eras of rock music, from classic rock and rock ballads to jam band music and to blues. “Junk Bond Junkie” deals with a man who is out to get rich, noting that he has to do a line of cocaine just to make it through the day. Rozan has the type of rugged, worn down voice that almost falls into the same category as Dylan. Rozan displays an array of talent by placing original songs as well as two covers on his album. Likely due to his background, Rozan writes his lyrics and styles his songs in a crafty, poetic fashion that gives his songs depth. That being said, most of his songs cannot be understood after one quick listen; they may take some thinking and analyzing to completely make out.