★★★★★
Shanachie With its eclectic mix of rock, acoustic and world music, Rusted Root's irresistible songs quickly propelled them to prominence with 1994's breakout, When I Woke. Half a dozen albums later--and nearly as many lineup changes--Rusted Root returns to celebrate their 20th year with their seventh release, The Movement. And as the songsmiths of a veritable soundtrack to the '90s, the Pittsburgh natives have become good at embracing their musical past, even while moving ahead...
- www.jambands.com
2013-01-24
★★★★★
Shanachie With its eclectic mix of rock, acoustic and world music, Rusted Root's irresistible songs quickly propelled them to prominence with 1994's breakout, When I Woke. Half a dozen albums later--and nearly as many lineup changes--Rusted Root returns to celebrate their 20th year with their seventh release, The Movement. And as the songsmiths of a veritable soundtrack to the '90s, the Pittsburgh natives have become good at embracing their musical past, even while moving ahead...
- www.relix.com
2013-01-04
★★★★★
Rusted Root's second major-labelalbum Remember forsakes the giddy acoustic timbres and percussive jammingthat made 1994's When I Woke a million seller. Though Remember boasts accessible winning cuts like the folk-rocker "SisterContine" and the country stomper "Virtual Reality," the rest ofthe record has a more subdued electric sound. In the end,they're tilling the same rootsy world beat as Dave Matthews butwithout tunes anywhere near as catchy.
- ew.com
2010-08-27
★★★★★
Oh for the halcyon days of the H.O.R.D.E. festival, when the patchouli oil flowed freely and hacky sacks were plenty. These days, bands of that stripe have been relegated to peddling their wares to faux flower children driving BMWs and toting cell phones. It seems no one, though, has told Rusted Root that the party is over...
- www.rollingstone.com
2009-06-08
★★★★★
Rusted Root's concept of course on Cruel Sun is to infuse worldbeat licks into passionate rock music in order to make it more passionate still. There's a tribal element to the proceedings, announced by the Aztec-looking death's head on the cover and followed up by the chants and environmentalist messages on the disc. The songs all pull you in: the drumming thunders along, the largely acoustic guitar work is quick and harmonious, and there are lots of nice hooks and riffs...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-27
★★★★★
Rusted Root's self-titled album is truly a tale of two sounds. The album wavers between hypnotic tribal grooves like "My Love" and hooky pop songs like the clapalong "Rising Sun." This dichotomy of styles keeps the listener off-balance and unsure of what is to come. The powerful rhythmic percussion, which is the heart of the band's sound, doesn't truly appear until the eighth track, "Agbadza...
- music.aol.com
2008-08-27
★★★★★
Rusted Root's debut album is an agreeable collection of post-hippie folk/rock. Drawing from The Grateful Dead, Phish, and Graceland-era Paul Simon in equal measures, the band can certainly work a low-key groove, spinning out solos and singsong melodies at well. They haven't perfected their songwriting yet -- many of the songs sound underdeveloped -- but their music sounds mature and hints at their potential.
- music.aol.com
2008-08-27