by mariah estran
Casual astrology talk is inescapable these days. There are extensive Twitter threads to articles categorizing fictional characters by their moon signs – it is everywhere. For American rock group roman around, they’ve noticed the shift in the narrative; their latest single – appropriately titled “Star Signs” – dives right in.
“I started noticing trends in the way people around me were using astrology. It seemed to become less of a spiritual experience for people to find themselves and more of a rubric to judge others and avoid responsibility,” lead vocalist Roman Rivera says on the single. “Like I'm not a bad person because I'm a Sagittarius, and you're not a bad person cause you're a Pisces. Each sign is beautiful and the possibilities for your potential are endless!”
The four-minute track opens with a celestial-type charm as fuzzy guitar chords swiftly move in. Rivera’s emotive vocals glide over the raw, layered production as the lyrics ring: “You can blame it on your star sign and forget what you’re made of.”
Produced in their at-home studio, this compelling tune features a medley of peculiar sounds, a fortuitous wind chime sample (thanks to their dog), and even a discrete elephant noise. Each intertwined into this supernal sounding view on the tangled perspective of star placements.
It’s a gaze into a form of divination and a launch into the transcending galaxy of roman around.