Rock/Review Rosetta West - Dora Lee (Gravity)

Rosetta West is a blues rock band from Illinois. Their music frequently includes elements of psychedelia and world folk music, and their lyrical themes often venture into mysticism and spirituality. Founder and songwriter Joseph Demagore handles vocals, guitars, and keyboards. Jason X plays bass and keyboards, and he has been a co-producer and sound engineer since the Labyrinth album. Joe and Jay both play percussion, along with drummer Nathan Q. Scratch, who refuses to be photographed.

"Dora Lee (Gravity)," Rosetta West's most recent song, is a gripping exploration of hard blues rock, mythology, and madness—encased in a fiery live performance from the impending Gravity Sessions series. Recorded at Chicago's renowned Gravity Studios, the song perfectly encapsulates the band's unadulterated, fast-paced, and intense sound. The experience becomes much more bizarre and thought-provoking, though, because of the accompanying video.

The video, which is set in an eerie dreamscape, portrays the song's narrator—a seasoned military commander—as a man who is captivated and destabilized by a string of ethereal female characters, such as Ishtar, Hecate, and Kali. These legendary goddesses blur the distinction between destruction and lover by embodying both wild seduction and feminine might. As a result, the song's central theme—a fleeting, passionate encounter that permanently changes the soul—is reinforced in a fascinating and unnerving way.

Thick guitar riffs, a thumping rhythm section, and a vocal performance brimming with grit and obsession create the foundation of "Dora Lee (Gravity)" musically. With its gloomy, powerful, and cinematic breadth, it's blues rock with teeth. The song feels current and scary because of the energy of the live take.

The multisensory story that Rosetta West has created feels both legendary and intimate at the same time. They transport listeners to a world where desire, power, and the paranormal mix in "Dora Lee (Gravity)," set to the pulsating beat of rock 'n' roll at its most primitive.