Rooftop Caravan’s debut album reels listeners in with its dynamic range and layered sound, solidifying it as a love letter to music.
The student-led band comes from an impressive group of hardworking students who have watered their love of music patiently and ionately throughout their degrees.
Releasing their first self-titled album on Aug. 14, Rooftop Caravan is comprised of lead singer, Lauren Kidd ArtSci ’23, guitarist, Oliver Little ArtSci ’23, bassist and keyboardist, Griffin Wade-Salay ArtSci ’25, and drummer, Kieran Barr ArtSci ’25, their debut album is a natural result of the group of four hanging out, exploring different sounds, and sharing the same ion and love for music.
The album is very atmospheric, featuring nine songs, where no two songs are the same. It’s a nuanced genre-bending work that combines soul, rhythm, funk, and jazz.
“The album is a nice time capsule. I’m imagining 15 to 20 years from now, I’ll be able to go back, listen to it, and recall the things we did together during that time. It’ll be a consolidated thing that represents my time with these guys. It’s a proud feeling,” Little said in an interview with The Journal.
The name of the band emerged after the group’s original jam session on Little’s roof. The name, Rooftop Caravan, accompanied by the anecdote serves to highlight the organic energy that was created almost unintentionally by the four .
“We jammed and realized we had a lot of musical chemistry. We have all these different musical backgrounds, but they come together really nicely,” Barr said.
The album opens with ‘Wist,’ led by Kidd’s smooth voice and a buildup of the melody by Wade-Salay on the keys. The soulful and jazzy note that can be heard throughout Rooftop Caravan shines through Kidd’s twang and the various instruments adding a swing to the emotionally versatile song.
The song ‘The Tale of Joao Lagosta’ is built upon a quick, upbeat tune that’s led by craftful and masterful drum work by Barr. The song was inspired by a poem about a lobster that Little wrote while bored at work, and that rich and metaphorical storytelling was expanded to help guide the song along.
The last line of the song paints an image of lobsters at a grocery store, waiting to be eaten: “He walks the streets, just cracking along, that empty feeling when all your friends are gone. Suddenly, a terrible sight, all of his crew under surgical light.”
Landing on the second half of the album, the song ‘(brain food)’ acts as a one-minute-long instrumental interlude as the album comes to a close. While short, ‘(brain food)’ doesn’t deserve to be skipped as it brings an original techno and electric feel to the album.
‘Connecticut’ is the first song that Rooftop Caravan ever wrote on their first jam session. It is not hard to see why they continued to work together after creating ‘Connecticut’ on their first session, as the song highlights their musical chemistry as a group. The song is full of impressive guitar work, giving the song an alternative rock feel, and characterized by even riffs and sleek high notes from Kidd.
The fusion of instrumental jazz and progressive rock makes the album the perfect accompaniment for the transition stage of summer turning into fall, as time and sunlight begin to shift. The album has a timeless and nostalgic feel to it, radiating a 70s energy through complex musical arrangements complete with electrifying vocals from Kidd that are reminiscent of Amy Winehouse.
Rooftop Caravan enchants listeners with its rich, layered sound and demands a mindful, immersive listening experience. The band’s meticulous attention to detail and heartfelt ion shines through in every note, making this album not just a collection of songs, but a powerful testament to the beauty of collaboration and the enduring spirit of creative exploration.
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