EP Review: No Rome – ‘Crying In The Prettiest Places’
Dirty Hit’s next big thing, No Rome continues to grow his prowess as one of the world’s brightest musical acts with the release of his second EP ‘Crying in the Prettiest Places’.
Having grown up in Manila, the artist’s talent has deservedly seen him reach the dizzy heights that some artists can only dream of, having supported label buddies The 1975 across the globe which included an appearance at Coachella. ‘Crying in the Prettiest Places’ is the follow up to the highly lauded debut EP ‘RIP Indo Hisashi’ which included the excellent The 1975 collaboration ‘Narcissist’ and the second EP not only follows up but better’s No Rome’s first attempt.
From the off, you know you are in for something truly unique, with the artist easily swapping genres on all 6 tracks, with ‘5 Ways to Bleach Your Hair’ being a scream-pop anthem that gets the blood pumping. It does take a more relaxed tone with the likes of ‘Stoned In The Valley’ and his triumphant return ‘Cashmoney’ which adopts aspirational R&B.
‘Pink’ is heavily influenced by hip-hop, but sliced with bittersweet loneliness, accompanied by a striking video which confirms his talent to connect the worlds of music, design, fashion, and art.
No Rome shows absolutely no fear when it comes to his music but sonically and lyrically, and with the Dirty Hit behind him, the sky is truly the limit.
‘Crying in the Prettiest Places’ is available now on all major streaming platforms and No Rome will play New York City’s Rough Trade on May 23rd.
Words by Danial Kennedy