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Oct 05, 2022 By Caleb Campbell

Later this week, New Jersey-based musician Rob Romano is set to share his debut EP under his new moniker Chico Romano, simply entitled Vol. 5. Formerly known as Professor Caveman, Romano’s latest work builds on his strong an alt pop bedrock, incorporating lush instrumental layers drawn from 60s soul and touches from diverse Latin American and Brazilian musical traditions. The result is an effective blend of experimental fervor, psych rock jams, pop arrangements, and vibrant rhythms.

Romano has already shared two singles from the record this year, “Who Said” and “Ur My Best Friend,” and today he’s back with another new track, “Wasted Wizard,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Wasted Wizard” once again proves Romano as a fascinating polymath of art pop songwriting, this time pulling together surf rock guitar lines, bleary vocal melodies, chilled hip hop beats, and colorful funk passages. It’s a dizzying multi-layered genre fusion, one that constantly shifts between styles. The track seems intentionally crafted to throw you off balance with each hairpin turn, keeping the listener on the edge of their seat as they prepare for it to once again turn on its head. Yet, the track also remains surprisingly cohesive thanks to Romano’s dreamy melodic talents and his dexterous guitar work.

Romano says of the track, “Sometimes my life feels like a waking nightmare and the only way to really wake up is Brazilian samba funk. The second half of this is a tribute to one of my favorite groups, Novos Baianos. “

Check out the song below. Romano’s Vol. 5 EP is out everywhere on October 7th.