ROME MASSE MENSCH MATERIAL ALBUM COLD MEAT RELEASE: APRIL 2, 2008 REVIEW: APRIL 30, 2008

The rise of Rome has had a similar impact on neofolk music as Rosetta Stone had on gothic rock when they turned up out of nowhere and kicked the shit out of the competition. In a genre with one too many primitive strummers of acoustic guitars and more than its fair share of obsessive martial drumming, Jerome Reuter shines like a beacon of pop sensibility and pure craftsmanship. His rich vocals brings up comparisons with some of the great names of rock - I keep thinking of David Sylvian - and the cunningly arranged songs likewise point toward greatness.

"Masse Mensch Material" (yes, the song titles are all in German, the lyrics all in English. No, don't ask me why) sees him honing his style even further towards a sound that is both highly accessible and multi-layered. The pervading pessimism of the lyrics and the warmth of the musical expression make for a strange contrast, misery becomes strangely attractive. The ingredients - orchestral arrangements, vocal samples, sparse electronic sounds and beats - are familiar to the genre, but their use of sounds is more balanced and natural than anything other artists have been able to muster.

Rome's powerful spell does break for a bit toward the middle of the album, when Reuter tries to to do a very obvious Tom Waits pastiche or imitation on "Die Brandshifter", which comes out sounding awkward and out of place. But the enchantment is soon in place again, at the very end with the orchestral gravity of "Wir Moorsoldaten". There are songs here, such as "Der Brandtaucher" and "Der Erscheinungen Flucht", with unbelievable hit potential. I'm dead impressed and very curious about what kind of place this beautiful vine-covered and mysterious city of Rome will become in the future.

MATTIAS HUSS