Apophenia Reviews Are In!!!
"A fascinating musical cat who has lived an endless swirl of different lives (including exploring his solo artistry since the release of his 2012 debut album Crayons), Rocha is one of those rare gems who gets us to deeply feel his pain and confusion deeply one minute, then sing along like it’s time to party even as his heart’s breaking." - Read more ...
Jonathan Widran, The JW Vibe (July 1, 2021)
"The Other Side starts the album off, opening on savors reminiscent of Tom Petty merged with CSN&Y, with perhaps a dollop of The Byrds and The Beatles tossed in for good measure. Rocha’s slightly reedy tenor is wonderfully easy to listen to, and the guitar work on this track is splendid. ...... At times dark, while at other times radiant, Apophenia is simultaneously picturesque and tenderly sad, balancing on the threshold of the sonic terminator line."
Randy Radic, The Young Folks (July 9, 2021)
"Introspective songcraft rose in value last year, as the insularities of 2020 forced a collective look inwards for the first time in generations, and it’s in this spirit that Paul Rocha’s Apophenia feels like a truly iconic offering. In Apophenia’s ten songs, Rocha navigates narratives that feel like internal thoughts only realized when left alone with ourselves to rhapsodize and recall memories and visions once abandoned in youth." - Read more ...
Kim Muncie, NeuFutur Magazine (July 1, 2021)
"There have been more than a few interesting alternative LPs coming out of the woodwork this past spring, but among the summer releases I’ve heard so far, this is probably the most complete and thought-provoking. Paul Rocha is a literate songwriter who already has two intriguing albums in his discography, and with the arrival of this third masterpiece, I think it would be safe to say he’s come full-circle artistically." - Read more ...
Bethany Page, Vents Magazine (July 3, 2021)
"In Apophenia, Rocha wanders through trying lyrical scenes that put his poetic protagonist against a lot of self-doubt and uncertainty, but the anxieties he’s made to encounter only make the audience feel more confident in his ability to overtake any obstacle in his path. He’s rejecting the temptation to revisit his musical past in “Sister Silhouette,” “Echoes of Never” and the hard-hitting “They’re All Dead,” instead making a commitment to exploring the roots of his aesthetical influences in general. There’s a hint of Rubber Soul here and a touch of Tim there, but at the center of everything this record has to offer isn’t just the patchwork of a contemporary artist, but the very heart of that artist himself." - Read more ...
Mark Druery, Indieshark Music Magazine (June 30, 2021)
"Paul Rocha’s abrasive combination of unapologetically honest self-commentary and freeform lyrical fantasizing in Apophenia not only makes it one of his most provocative works to hit record store shelves to date, but one of the more curious listens I’ve had the chance to review this June. He comes out guns blazing with this material and doesn’t steer away from any territory no matter how outlandish a melodic path he has to take to get there, and though not a classic because of its earthy compositional wits alone, they certainly make it a standout in this year’s somewhat scattered pool of alternative rock releases." - Read more ...
Sebastian Cole, Gashouse Radio.com (June 30, 2021)
Colin Jordan, Medium.com (July 1, 2021)
“’They’re All Dead’ is a somewhat hilarious, if morbid – and altogether matter-of-fact – look at so many of the people we hold in high esteem from over the course of history, and those we don’t...are...all dead. No matter who we are, and no matter what we do, eventually we’ll all have one thing in common, and that is we’ll all be dead.” - Read more ...
Lisa Hafey, Essentially Pop (June 16, 2021)
