Twentysomething German producer Marius Lauber, AKA Roosevelt, first emerged with his Elliot EP in 2013. Released on Greco-Roman, it showcased all the hallmarks of that label: ever-so-slightly left-field, poppy electro that was perfect for the then in-vogue indie dancefloor. Roosevelt’s eponymous debut album followed in 2016 to solid reviews: these were dynamic, disco-tinged bangers which, while hardly groundbreaking, were certainly enjoyable.
Follow-up album Young Romance sounds more expansive, though it’s hard to get any real sense of progression. Indeed, it largely feels like a release bathed in nostalgia for those soaring, chillwave-at-its-peak synth sounds of 10 years ago. Pangaea, with its psychtinged grooves, has something of Tame Impala about it, while Better Days blends sweet guitar lines and whimsical vocals to charming effect – “sometimes I feel like you’re the only one to hold on for better days to come”, he croons softly.
Roosevelt’s is an airbrushed, off-kilter kind of pop, and while he still isn’t pushing the envelope, Young Romance is a pleasant enough listen.
