The Philadelphia Inquirer
Sunday, August 10, 1997
SUBROSA
Never Bet the Devil Your Head
by Steve Volk
A code of ethics set against a maelstrom of varied and melodic guitar rock,
Subrosa's debut is understandably reflective.
Vocalist-guitarist-songwriter Travis Tooke and drummer Jack Griego
were in For Squirrels, a promising band that lost two
members and its road manager in a fatal road crash in 1995, so it's
no wonder even playful tunes such as ``The Life Inside
Me Killed This Song'' and ``Rollercoaster'' have a dark edge.
Far from a series of ``woe is us'' songs, however, Never Bet The Devil
promotes integrity, self-belief, tuneful melodies and
grunge-inspired power chords. The album's varied subject matter renders
Tooke's elegant, Beatlesque ode to his departed
friends, ``Pretend,'' all the more moving. Life has gone on, and as
evidenced by its debut, Subrosa is living and playing music with a willful
urgency.