Apparently, Jon DeRosa has a great sense of humor, as the New Good Timeshides the true nature of his debut full-length with a promise oflighter fare. Not that it's a bad thing that the album contains manysomber moments, as well, but Pale Horse and Rider do not intend to showyou a good time. DeRosa is better known to most as electronic artistAarktica, as PHaR first showed up on last year's Alcohol EPs.Already, though, he shows that his new name shows a lot of promise inits style and delivery. Pale Horse is mostly DeRosa alone, but hebrought along some heavy-hitters to join him in the proceedings, fromAlan Sparhawk's recording and guitar duties to Nathan Amundson onbacking vocals. Jessica Bailiff even handled the photography. Anyamount of guests wouldn't help matters if the songs were substandard,so it's fortunate that DeRosa is as talented in this realm as he is inthe electronic department. Good Times is a fine continuation ofthe PHaR sound, and the songs mostly cry out for some kind ofresolution to the strife regular people suffer through. Acoustic guitarand vocals make up the main palette, and it's really easy to screw thatup, but DeRosa never does. Anyone who can record something as hauntingand beautiful as "I Told Jesus Christ How Much I Love Her" deserves anyacclaim he's given, as it broke my heart the first time I heard it."Will We Be Blessed Someday" is a lighter number, and on "SundayMatinee" DeRosa tries on the piano to great success; so there isvariation of sound and subject matter, as well. The record is a bitshort, but only because I craved for more at its end. DeRosa's voice issimple and unaffected, making everything he sings sound honest andtrue, but there is a greater voice in these songs that he channels.It's difficult to take simple stories and elevate them in this way, butwith Pale Horse and Rider it sounds so easy. That it sounds thispolished is truly an accomplishment.Read More
