The hard-driving roots rocker “One More” is one of the best new songs you’ll hear this year — from anybody, not just some local drummer on his maiden voyage as a solo act. The rest of Joe Rohan’s debut CD, Walk Along, is a sleep-inducing stroll through all-too-familiar terrain.
Perhaps that’s too strong. But with the current glut of artists bearing the Americana tag, Rohan’s CD doesn’t stand out from the crowd. The musicianship is good — who knew this skins man could play such a mean dobro? — and Rohan (who’s lent his skills behind the kit to such notable locals as Mothertrain, Mike Farley, and Robin Stone) deserves points for a nice cover of Rickie Lee Jones’s “The Horses.” But little else on Walk Along is distinctive, and Rohan’s voice is no more than average.
Still, with a song as righteous as “One More” on his résumé, the guy clearly has a future beyond adding drums to other people’s records.
This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2003.