Romantic Dividends

Jason Landry, contributor

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A haunting synth, electric piano, horns, and steady drum & bass grooves highlight the cinematic overtones that pump from my speakers as I listen to the vinyl album Giallo from the Romantic Dividends.

 

It’s as if you’re listening to a soundtrack to a Sofia Coppola film. One moment you feel something akin to the French band AIR, and then it moves on to an R&B tip that channels the Black Pumas if they had teamed up with Diana Ross & the Supremes. "Yamazuki" has this slow surf rock vibe, and the title track “Giallo” kicks in with keys and a drum beat that evokes the sound of early Dr. Dre & Eminem—I know, sounds wild, right? And just when you thought you figured them out, you’re hit with the track “Claudja” and now you’re getting early disco vibes and it’s Saturday night and it’s time to hit the dance floor at Studio 54.

 

Allen Blickle and Josh Wiener the duo who make up Romantic Dividends have put together something truly remarkable. It kept me interested from start to finish and I’m already wanting more. I’m going out on a limb now and saying it’s one of the best albums released in 2025 that I’ve heard thus far.