On Road Movie, Dominic Angelella shows that he’s one person who won’t quit too easily

While it seems like Lithuania singer/songwriter, former DRGN King frontman, mewithoutYou touring bassist and general man about the Philly scene Dominic Angelella never takes a breather from any of his countless projects, he’s also been recording quite a bit of solo music under his first name lately. Dominic released his first LP, Goodnight, Doggies., last year, and has just returned with a follow-up — Road Movie is out now on Bandcamp.

The seven-track album is filled with reflective, narrative-driven, lyrically intricate songs that see Dominic putting his songwriting and storytelling chops to full use. We previously heard “Red State,” a politically-charged rocker of a song that comments on Dominic’s experiences in Russia in comparison to the American South. Dominic’s Lituania bandmate Eric Slick shares writing credits on that one, which goes to show that while Dominic may be Angelella’s solo project, his community is always there to step in and lend a hand. Or a voice — Hop Along’s Frances Quinlan joins for backing vocals on the upbeat “Temporary Friend,” a celebration of friendship in itself.

The rest of the album is rounded out by songs that range from softer and quieter, like the delicate piano-filled “Climb to the Garden” and the wistful, minute-long interlude “Chicago,” to more dynamic rock tunes. Dominic has been making and playing music for about a decade, and on “One Day (I’m Going to Quit),” he discusses the resilience that’s necessary to make it in music longterm (he also thanks “the cliché of the ‘washed up rock and roll man'” in the album notes). It’s far from a fair business, as he notes, and “the game is rigged,” but if any of his work is an indication, Dominic is the kind of person who wouldn’t quit so easily — and that driving energy is what makes his music feel so vital.

Listen below.