Album Notes

It is possible –- believe it or not -- to experience positive prejudice, even though this much more acceptable usage of the term is rarely ever voiced. But such is the case with regard to Jeff Rolka's music. The help Rolka received from a few stellar musicians associated with the highly esteemed Chuck Prophet made me want to listen to this disc right away. And my positive prejudice did not let me down at all.

Rolka is a fine singer and songwriter, and Somewhere In The Fade nicely mixes pop rock with a little country music. “Don’t Blame Me,” for instance, is an exemplary bit of twang. Rolka’s softer side shines during “Could It Be Me?,” which finds him sounding a whole lot like the introspective Aimee Mann. The lyric that stands out most here appears on “Good Angel,” where Rolka sings: “Be a good Angel, Fly away.” It’s not often that we hear stories where someone is willing to let an angel get away. But if you love someone, as Sting once reminded us in song, you must set them free.

There ought to be a place for Rolka’s music among the No Depression crowd. He is by no means a country music traditionalist, but he nevertheless picks and chooses the elements he enjoys most from that realm, and then smartly places these into his own songs. It’s entirely easy to walk away from Somewhere In The Fade with a positively prejudicial attitude toward Jeff Rolka.

By Dan MacIntosh