Power pop with an edge

Reviewed June 2005

Power pop with a jangly streak of alt rock and enough touches of art and prog rock to make things interesting, the music found on the debut CD from San Diego County's Pitch LaRooche is surprisingly strong and polished for a self-produced effort from a young band.

Brothers Jonathan (vocals, guitar) and Levi Pitcher (bass) helped found the band three years ago, and have since been joined by drummer Jordan Cronin and cellist/guitarist Erdis Maxhelaku.

The combination of Jonathan Pitcher's deep, rich vocals and Maxhelaku's shimmering cello work that gives the band much of its almost mysterious alt-prog sound.

The eleven songs were written by Jonathan Pitcher, and if no breakout hit seems to reside among them, all are pleasant and melodic.

What is perhaps most interesting about "Love Song For No One" is that the band's own promotional materials describe it has a snapshot of a band in transition. While Pitch LaRooche has been playing tons of gigs around San Diego County, polishing their sound and building a fan base, they're also advertising for a female singer on their Web site.

So it seems likely their second album will sound very different. Still and all, this first one is a nice surprise and worth a listen.

Review by Jim Trageser. Jim is a writer and editor living in Escondido, Calif., and was a contributor to the "Grove Press Guide to Blues on CD" (1993) and "The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Blues" (2005).