“To The Bitter End” by Dan Rose Is Folk That Could Spark An Ignition

You might think folk is for nights with acoustic guitar played in front of the campfire, but Dan Rose is here to prove you wrong with To The Bitter End. It’s Billy Bragg’s political edge and Elliott Smith’s stripped down sincerity colliding, as if they both played in New York’s oldest rock club for a cause.

To The Bitter End is a four-part EP from Danish singer-songwriter Dan Rose. And what you’ll get is folky lo-fi sharpened by the restless edge of NYC that isn’t polished and more lived in. With only one mic, a voice, and a guitar, this is acoustic folk rock, neo, alt folk with no filter, no retakes.

We Need Someone To Take Charge feels like a protest weathered down through raw guitar work and earthy tones. Yet, it does not take away the weight of Dan’s words, proving a point without those loud, empty shouts. Every line is sharp, refusing to settle down as he chants, “we need someone to take charge, we need someone with a heart”. It’s tender, yet with a kind of honesty that deserves to be shouted back in the streets.

Call it a punchline, a lecture, or a thesis but Don’t Be An Asshole exactly knows what it is saying. There’s this wit and cleverness bottled into one cohesive sound that feels like an exclamation mark in rhythmic, grounded sound. And right from the start, you’ll know exactly who it is talking about. The line, “the waitress might spit in your drink,” sounds literal but who knows? Maybe it’s figurative, maybe not, but either way, it’s a tax you pay for being that guy.

The Bench In The Secret Gardens is built on optimism. What makes this more compelling is the flickering hope brushing above the strings without tuning down the rage and despair of each word. There’s this folk-rock grit that feels like clenched fists yet, its tender arrangement sounds like a tiny spark of hope that could make an ignition.

Everything Changes On 86th Street veers off from the rest of the record. It goes by quicker than it actually does, like a polaroid picture losing colors right before your eyes. Lyrically, it feels like standing on the same street, in the same place—surrounded by the people who share the same ache.

What you’ll get from this EP is a sound that does not really get talked about as much as it should be. Grounded and seeded from the rumble of the subway’s engine, the noise from the busy street, the heavy steps above the concrete—it’s all the green musings and ideas that have grown into folk music that belongs to each one of us.

Overall, To The Bitter End by Dan Rose isn’t for the background, you don’t play it alone. It’s the voice that cuts above when the city’s loud—meant for the streets, sung with the people.