Angel Investor - I Can't Smell The Roses Underground
The debut album of Angel Investor, I Can't Smell the Rose Underground (2025), is a breathtaking statement of intent. Written and performed by Jack Dione and Silas Johnson, it is a heartfelt curation of indie folk, distorted guitar tones, and unfiltered sepia noise. This timid yet brutal effort was brought to us by Jane Records.
The album employs dulcet tones, wild dissonance, and willfully careless guitars to mirror the disinterested, half-spoken, half-sung delivery. On 'Desire Falls', constant chatter and electrical hiss frame all aspects of the album, depicting a hazy mind. The vocals consistently convey animosity hidden beneath the monotone and sometimes whiny delivery that cultivates this odd folky acoustic feeling that's both campfire-esque yet incredibly isolated. The vocals feel almost narcissistic, especially when expressing ideas of waning admiration. This uninterested singing continues, and on 'Pale Blue Hearts', the vocals play excellently against the dissonance through the verse and chorus sections.
Angel Investors experiment with genre conventions such as shoegaze and grunge, coming more to the forefront on the track 'Stillicide' using heavily distorted guitar tunes, often buried underneath that lonely campfire sound. As the duo moves into 'In The Headlights', the energy lifts with more pronounced drums and head-nodding riffs that seem to take inspiration from early noughties pop. This experimental folk vein is adequately explored, incorporating elements of the bad girl revival, as seen in artists like Gwen Stefani and Christina Aguilera on the track 'Crossed My Heart'. Meanwhile, delusions are so beautiful, finding their mojo by emulating more indie-adjacent music with those beautifully twangy acoustic guitars.
Angel Investors are best when tapping into these rather personal, uncomfortable feelings, such as on the track 'I'm Gone'. There's a palpable loneliness expressed through the instrumentation and vocals, which makes the track a whole lot more relatable. That's a deceptive amount of processing that gives the album its distinctive sound. Take, for example, their eyes shine with innocence, which has a distinct analogue feel, as though the record was produced on old magnetic tape, which usually adds a pleasant warmth in character, but in this instance makes it feel as though they were looking back into a time capsule. The same can be said for the 'Moth', which is criminally too short. The electronic elements add to the track as wailing guitars phase around in the background, creating an air of unease while the pulsating bass carries the track forward.
Angel Investor, I Can't Smell The Roses Underground, is one of the most exciting debuts this year, although a few elements fall flat for me. The unbalanced listening experience can sometimes become distracting as these elements are used more stylistically rather than pushing the narrative forward. Overall, it feels so fresh in an era of roommates and rehashes. The band's ability to merge distant genre conventions is impressive and, dare I say, inspired. The undercurrent of folk influence heard throughout the album gives it a surprisingly warm, unfamiliar feel, considering how cold and dry the guitars are, and that's without mentioning the subject matter. I Can't Smell the Rose Underground is ideally situated for these autumn nights, as the days grow duller and the leaves turn browner. The dreary turns of an Angel Investor may not make you smile, but will definitely leave you feeling heard.
Label: Jane Records (2025)
Angel Investor - I Can't Smell the Rose Underground
