ROMANTICA / (ro-man’tik-ah) / n. / The fantastic tricks of gypsy men : a band of musicians originating in Minneapolis, in 2002, who are characterized by deeply felt poetic imagery enshrined in effortlessly emotive popular melodies suggestive of folk, country, and pop music histories; in similar traditions with Ryan Adams, Damien Rice and The Wallflowers. Winners of Minnesota Music’s “Best Americana Recording” in 2004 for their debut “It’s Your Weakness that I Want” and two consecutive awards in the International Songwriting Competition (2004, 2005), their talent has been promptly verified. The Pittsburh Tribune has suggested singer and songwriter “Ben Kyle may be the next notable musician to come from (Van) Morrison’s homeland” and New York’s Village Voice has prophesied “you’ll want to say you saw them now.” Kyle arrived in Minneapolis in ‘95 by way of Belfast, N. Ireland and his songs evoke an emotional gravity and poetic sensibility surely not unaffected by his boyhood backdrop.

Press Clippings

The VILLAGE VOICE said, "GREAT-AT-VERY-FIRST-LISTEN new CD, "It's Your Weakness that I want," you'll want to say you saw them now. Tasty yummy rock music--grab a bite."
PASTE MAGAZINE says "This Minnesota band upholds the tradition of earnest, sweet Heartland rock with better-than-average melodic sense....Americana with some of the wistful tinge of classic Irish rock."
Mike Alexis of DOWNLOAD.COM writes, "With Kyle's strong songwriting wrapped around such capable and thoughtful arrangements, it's an immensely accomplished debut that--if there's any justice--will reach far beyond the Minneapolis city limits."
MELISSA MAERZ (SPIN) described Romantica's sound as "Americana that's something MORE than the sound of the States,"
PULSE of the Twin Cities called them "The Wallflowers for the new millennium."
CITY PAGES (Minneapolis) writes, "Romantica is awfully easy to like. Their pop hooks give them mainstream accessibility, and their choruses (like the sung "ba ba ba" horn part on "There She Goes") will have even the most restrained concert goers singing and swaying along. Their album opener "On My Mind" comes on like a fusion of Wilco, Don Henley, and Ryan Adams--and comes off as the song that every college band wishes they could write. "Ophelia" has a Leonard Cohenish, maybe even Roger Waters feel to it, while other songs on their album wouldn't be out of place on a collection of moody Irish ballads. Romantica deserve the attention they're getting not because they're doing something different, but because they're doing it so well."
PIONEER PRESS (St Paul) says,"Rooted in the sweet sounds of Midwest rock (Jayhawks, Wilco), traditional Irish folk, American pop and even the R&B beat of Detroit. "Honey" is what Nick Drake might have written had he grown up on Motown love songs, while "There She Goes" is the best pop song Beulah never wrote.
The PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE suggested, "Ben Kyle, a native of Belfast, might be the next notable musician to come from (Van) Morrison's homeland."

Biography

ROMANTICA / (ro-man’tik-ah) / n. / The fantastic tricks of gypsy men : one who is inclined toward the sensations of mystery and excitement associated with human love : one who is characterized by an idealized view of reality : a reaction to the order, restraint and rationalism of the classical : suggestive of inspiration, deep feeling, subjectivity : a band of musicians originating in Minneapolis, in 2002, who are characterized by deeply felt poetic imagery enshrined in effortlessly emotive popular melodies suggestive of folk, country, and pop music histories; in similar traditions with Ryan Adams, Damien Rice and The Wallflowers. Winners of Minnesota Music’s “Best Americana Recording” in 2004 for their debut “It’s Your Weakness that I Want”(2024 Records) and two consecutive awards in the International Songwriting Competition (2004, 2005), their talent has been promptly verified. Venturing to the East Coast in December, the Pittsburh Tribune suggested singer and songwriter “Ben Kyle may be the next notable musician to come from (Van) Morrison’s homeland” and New York’s Village Voice prophesied “you’ll want to say you saw them now.” Kyle arrived in Minneapolis in ‘95 by way of Belfast, N. Ireland and his songs evoke an emotional gravity and poetic sensibility surely not unaffected by his boyhood backdrop. While Romantica’s folk/pop songs can be sweet and airy, they tend to retain a poignant sense of seriousness, delivering an often understated heart to heart in an envelope of melodic charm and lyrical nostalgia. Luke Jacobs, James Orvis (the Melismatics) and Jessy Greene (Wilco, Jayhawks, Minus 5) along with Kyle are hard at play in the caverns of their basement studio mixing feelings and ideas for a follow up recording : relating to love in a sentimental, idealized and fantastical way : the state or quality of being romantic : incurable visionaries, dreamers, fantasists.