“CIRCLE OF DOUBT” by Rosetta West

Amid flickering neon shadows and primal percussion, Rosetta West conjures a sonic ritual with Circle of Doubt. Dropped on April 29, 2025—coinciding with Beltane, the ancient festival of fire and transformation—the track feels like a ceremonial offering, both scorching and introspective. Though rooted in Illinois, the band’s sound drifts free of geography, channeling a fusion of psychedelic blues, esoteric rock, and world-inflected folk that feels both timeless and urgently present. From its opening echo, the main guitar motif coils around itself, hypnotic and unrelenting. Rather than chasing dramatic crescendos, the song revels in the tension of its refrain—each repetition deepening the mood, as if the band is intentionally circling a question that refuses easy answers. Layered over the trance-like pulse, irregular guitar accents emerge with transient intensity, resembling sparks suspended in ambient haze, and subtly allude to concealed transitions within the track’s complex sonic framework. Vocalist Joseph Demagore delivers his lines with an earthy gravitas, the kind that comes only from having faced countless inner battles.

His tone sits somewhere between a weary oracle and a determined seeker, lending the lyrics a weight that avoids melodrama. It’s less about declaiming pain and more about bearing witness to it—the cracks in belief, the frustrations of unmet expectations, and the toll of spiritual weariness. Behind the scenes, Jason X and Nathan Q. Scratch weave a tapestry of rhythm and texture. The bass doesn’t merely underpin the track; it growls with a warning, moving in and out of focus like a restless spirit. Drums throb with tribal insistence, while keyboards hover on the edges of perception, suggesting shadows lurking just beyond sight. The production is deliberately rough-edged, preserving the raw energy of a live ceremony rather than sterilizing it in a studio. The single’s B‑side, “The God Who Made Me Cry,” serves as a penetrating counterpoint. Where Circle of Doubt loops through uncertainty, this companion piece charges forward with confrontational clarity. Its arrangement is more streamlined, the vocals more pointed—an unflinching demand for accountability from whatever higher power has caused heartbreak.

Together, these two tracks map the terrain of faith in crisis: one wanders in circles, the other strikes out in defiance. In a musical climate often obsessed with perfection, Rosetta West embraces imperfection as a form of honesty. These songs don’t offer tidy resolutions; instead, they capture the raw edges of human experience—the tremors beneath belief, the ember of hope still glowing in darkness, and the resilience that emerges when we face our doubts head‑on. Circle of Doubt is more than just a new single—it’s an invitation to a shared reckoning. Whether you’re drawn to its mystical overtones or its unapologetic blues grit, the track demands attention and introspection. With this release, Rosetta West isn’t merely playing music; they’re guiding listeners through a fire-lit pilgrimage, where uncertainty becomes the path to something deeper.

Garcia Penned 🖊️