Rodge warped nostalgia into disillusioned tonal romanticism with ‘Saturday Evening TV Villains’ –

Rodge introduced themselves with cinematic intent in Saturday Evening TV Villains, taken from their debut EP Old School Escapism. The track is more Lynchian than kitchen sink, a neo-pop dissection of modern philosophy framed through the lens of pop culture, steeped in tonal romanticism. From the first haze of 60s-hued production, melodies unfurl like sepia smoke, curling around angular guitars and lyrical poetry that arrives with cultivated charisma. The effect is both nostalgic and unsettling, a reconciliation between the warmth of memory and the disillusionment of the present.

In its mellifluous moving picture momentum, Saturday Evening TV Villains leaves no room for static, only a strange consolation for listeners drawn to the melancholic side of beauty. The song shimmers with euphonic depth, yet never slips into indulgence, choosing instead to deliver something that feels timeless in its evocation. Within the haze lies an indie crooner with the strength to shift the genre back into wider embrace, armed with the ability to warp sentimentality into something sharper, something that pierces.

Though Rodge officially formed in 2024, its members have been entwined in music for two decades, their shared history audible in the cohesiveness of the sound. Born out of the Sussex scene, they arrived fully formed, already penning songs with melodic classicism shaped by a modernist hand. With earlier singles Made a Meal and Honestly paving the way, the August release of Old School Escapism confirmed their presence as one of the most promising prospects to watch in 2025.

Saturday Evening TV Villains is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast