El Paso based power trio Little King is more than vocalist/songwriter and guitarist Ryan Rosoff’s glorified solo vehicle. Each of the five cuts he includes on the band’s EP release Occam’s Foil testifies to this thanks to the kinetic chemistry Rosoff shares with musical partners drummer Eddy Garcia and bassist Manny Tejeda. The rhythm section provides a fluid yet thunderous foundation for Rosoff’s varied guitar work and the band tackles each of the EP’s five songs with the sort of sinewy skill I expect to hear from the most creative rock bands. “Hate Counter”, the opener, might play like a dull smash and thud hard rock riff-o-rama in the hands of lesser bands, but Little King never settles for predictability. The band careens through an assortment of twists and turns without ever putting a foot wrong or overwhelming listeners. Rosoff’s unbridled screed against immigrant hatred comes across as a man fully engaged with his times and he channels that indignation through his six string alternating between flamethrower riffs and dazzling lead work.
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“The Skin That I’m In” strikes a more personal note but the same commitment to challenging arrangements remains. This is rock music, hard indeed, but Rosoff and his cohorts never pander to the lowest common musical denominator. It has a light musical touch initially before seguing into aggressive sections and the two portions lock in tight with one another rather than sounding like two different songs competing for space. “Forgotten Mile”, the EP’s shortest track, is nonetheless one of my favorite moments on the release as there’s a haunted elegance present throughout the performance and it has one of Rosoff’s best lyrics on the release in my estimation. There are some musical similarities, however, between this song and the preceding track, though this never undercuts its value.
“The Foil” is a doozy of a number, surprisingly danceable, and rife with cutting observations on modern culture I cannot find any fault with. It’s Rosoff’s best vocal and lyric, for me, without a doubt and he delivers the words with delicious yet entertaining rancor. His talents as a writer shine brightest here and I think it is obvious that, despite being shorter than other songs on the EP, he positions it as the centerpiece number on the recording. The rhythm section stands out as well. This song makes an even deeper impact on listeners thanks to Tejeda and Garcia’s intense interplay and Rosoff responds with one of his best musical performances as well.
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“Nerve 8” closes the EP. It is an instrumental and that, in and of itself, is a daring move. Few bands make this sort of move, usually opting for some grand musical and lyrical statement to close their releases, but Little King instead choose to wow listeners with a final display of their playing prowess. It, likewise, represents a return to the EP opener in the sense they embrace a full on hard rock style dispensing with the dynamic orchestration defining the middle portion of this release. It’s a memorable final curtain for one of 2020’s best outings thus far.
Gwen Waggoner
