Romeo Delta - Glimpse EP

​Romeo Delta

​Glimpse EP
self-released; 2017

​3.6 out of 5

By Dom Eagle

Romeo Delta calls St Paul, MN, home. They say that it may not be as cool as Minneapolis, but they try harder (I don’t know either scene well, so I won’t get involved). All I know is that there’s some great music coming out of this band which is comprised of Chris Trifilio (vocals/guitar), Rudy Dufour (drums), and John Borghesi (bass). Romeo Delta was formed in the winter of 2017 under a lucky star, and there’s a romantic origin story if ever there was one. They promise to create emotionally fueled music, and I can vouch for them on that; they deliver on their promise.

​Their latest four-track EP entitled Glimpse opens with the song “Sometimes.” It is driven by a chugging electric guitar rhythm, punchy beat, and vocals reminiscent of Weezer (if they were folky, perhaps).

The choruses are upbeat, chirpy, punchy, and yet completely laid back. Romeo Delta carve a sound based on uplifting melodies, catchiness, and yet a reserved nature that I find quite endearing and infectious. Still, I was left hoping that the song would grow and build into something a little more electrifying; that moment never came, but I can’t deny that the song still had a strong melody, along with good performances both in terms of instrumentals and singing.

“Heart On Fire” is driven by a catchy pop rhythm guitar melody and a slick, catchy bass rhythm lying beneath it all. The vocals, once again, are smooth ear-candy. Everything’s pleasant, and every element blends perfectly together. It’s the combination of the chugging, guttural bass rhythm and the twangy guitar solo after the chorus that I really liked on this song, however.

Maybe it’s not the place people would usually focus within a song with a catchy melodic hook such as this, but the whirring bends of the guitar notes added some energy and variation to the song. There’s also a slight switch-up in terms of melody and rhythm during the climax which added something new to sink one’s teeth into during the close of the track.

​“She’s So Fast” maintains the same punchy beat and chugging rhythms present on the first two tracks, but, as the title promises, it is a little faster. There’s a growing energy to this song, and I feel my head bobbing a little more furiously to this one.

There’s definitely more of a pop-punk vibe to this track; melodically, it’s got all the hooks and flourishes of any pop-punk hit (the vocals are sweeter if anything), but there’s something more to this song. As the song progresses, there’s some build in the electric guitar; distortion seeps into the mix. Screeching guitar solos, as teased in a gentler sense during the previous track, get their chance to flourish within this track. The drums also have a slight increase in ferocity. It’s just nice to hear a little variation in musical style.

Romeo Delta have some real talent;. The Weezer-esque surf-rock style is definitely within my ballpark in terms of music stylings; if you like garage pop then you should like this too. There’s something different to this, however. It feels unfair to put them in a box.

​Their music is gentle and built around melody; sometimes I was left wanting a little more, but this is only a short EP. I thought this band sounded best when their sound added a little diversity and energy to their performance. I look forward to seeing what they do next.

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