SONG REVIEW: Roxana Line - "GloomyVerse"
“One of the most compelling songs of Roxana Line’s work to date.”
by Jesse Smith
Theatrical, Whimsical, & Wonderful… Roxana Line is back! There are a handful of artists that take music as an art form to the next level, and Roxana Line is in that list. She has been a frequent artist here on GKE and every time I hear something new from her I’m blown away more than I was at the releases before. “GloomyVerse” is the tie-in to the lore Roxana Line has been creating for some while, so you know it had to be big! But big is an understatement, this was gigantic.
Utilizing a 100 piece orchestra, full choir, and 2 live drummers, Roxana Line has raised the bar on herself. If you are not familiar with her previous work, she is unlike anything you have ever heard with bits and pieces of your favorite emo bands sprinkled in the mix. She doesn’t just write songs, she creates atmospheres and has plots and twists like you’re watching a play. Mixing Disney, Christina Aguilera, and My Chemical Romance is the only way I can describe her and that still isn’t doing her any justice. So keep that in mind as you start this 4 minute journey. GloomyVerse starts off with an up tempo rhythmic use of the orchestra before coming in with a captivating voice to start the melody. She doesn’t write songs like your normal favorite alt rock band… oh no, her melodies are poetic and emphasized. It’s very demanding of attention but not so over the top like in theater/musicals. Even if she has a theatrical approach to her music, she is still an emo kid at heart, so when the distorted guitars and heavier drums kick in, you get a clash of worlds you only really see during Christmas time with Trans Siberian Orchestra. Having that heavy on the 1 rock approach mixed with the cunningness of musical stylings is so cool to hear. The flow of her songs are different while songs in our genre go from hot to cold in only a measure or two, she guides you along the song with peak highs and valley lows but yet in the middle you still feel intune with the songs. A little over half way through this song, there is a switch in direction and vibe where it becomes almost burlesque-ish which is where the Aguilera comparisons start to make sense.
Roxana Line is a brilliant artist with work that fits everyone. She’s the poster child for following your passions and being uniquely you. She is also writing a book that I think will go hand in hand with the storyline of her songs. It’s things like this that take the art to a new level. I’m so impressed with how far she has come over the years and this song may just be her magnum opus.