Rose City Band is a self-described cosmic Americana project headed up by Portland-based Ripley Johnson, who you also might know as leader of the Wooden Shjips and one half of Moon Duo. He’s about to release his third Rose City Band album in three years, following 2019’s self-titled debut and 2020’s Summerlong. Johnson recorded the new Earth Trip at his home, mostly alone save for some pedal steel from Barry Walker. You can hear Walker’s contributions loud and clear on the free-flowing lead single “Lonely Places,” which situates Ripley’s vibe closer to Wilco than ever before. There’s also some tremendously subtle tremolo guitar action that reminds me of Yo La Tengo’s “One PM Again.”

A statement from Johnson on the nature-inspired track:

When everything stopped and I was no longer in constant motion, traveling all the time, I had so much time to really think about place. And really experience being in one place for an extended time. I was sort of stuck in a rural area for a while at the end of the summer, basically camping. But I found it so nourishing to be in nature all day, sleeping when it got dark, waking with the sun. Bathing outside. It was lonely and sad, but also joyful and life affirming.

Hear “Lonely Places” below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Silver Roses”
02 “In The Rain”
03 “World Is Turning”
04 “Feel Of Love”
05 “Lonely Places”
06 “Ramblin’ With The Day”
07 “Rabbit”
08 “Dawn Patrol”

Earth Trip is out 5/21 on Thrill Jockey. Pre-order it here.