Whitney Rose ROSIE

Whitney Rose
Rosie
MCG Recordings

A Fabulous Blend of Soulful, Pop and Country influences, Combining To Showcase Whitney Rose in Her Truest Form

Over the COVID layoff, Whitney Rose wrote and released “We Still Go To Rodeos” – and hidden in the vaults at the same time was this second album “Rosie” – which now sees the light of day.
As she herself says, there’s never an ideal time to release music – and currently, unable to tour because she’s poorly – she decided to put the album out into the world.
Recorded with her Continental Club residency band and others, it’s an unabashed, unapologetic delight.

Whitney Rose has often, in the past created character-based narratives, but there’s a sense with “Rosie” that this time it’s (in some places) more personal.
Opener “Tell Me a Story, Babe” is a gentle, romantic two-stepping request to hide away from the world as there’s a “need to get away”.
It’s a late night, close the curtains and shut out the lights paean to intimacy.
The title of “Can’t Remember Happiness” doesn’t bode well on the cheerfulness scale, but it does the lyrical trick of turning the title on its head as it goes on to state that our heroine
“can’t remember happiness
that’s happier than this”.
Musically it’s a Countrypolitan, hook-ridden earworm.

Next up is the lead-off track from the album. the self-accusing “I Built My Own Jail”, which juxtaposes the central extended metaphor and a soulful confessional vocal, underscored by sympathetic picking on electric and acoustic guitar.
The theme of entrapment continues on “Memphis In My Mind” with its Southern Country-Soul feel, which deals with the difficulty in getting to where you want to be and the teasing, frustrating triggers that rub salt in the wound.
It’s on tracks like this where the tightness and feel of Whitney’s Continental Club players shine – there’s a natural, organic interplay that allows Rose to develop a soulful, dynamic delivery.

Second pre-release track “You’re Gonna Get Lonely” is classic honky-tonk with knobs on – and provides sound advice that “dinners cost less when you’re alone”.
It’s bounce-along gleeful music set to an age-old sad tale of break-up – and a great barroom piano break too.
“Minding My Own Pain” which follows, delves into Tammy Wynette territory; there’s more separation, loneliness and break-up – with the added bonus of pregnancy thrown into the mix.
The common denominator amongst a lot of this songs is the idea that an individual is responsible for their fate – and that their strength will ultimately determine the outcome.
That’s seen most explicitly as going into dangerous waters on “I Need a Little Shame”, where the lyric explores the inability to recognise self-value and to accept love.
Bravo to Whitney for going where others daren’t – in lyrical tone (but not in sentiment) it reminds me of “He Hit Me (and it Felt Like a Kiss)” in the way it deals with the unspoken.

But, let me not forget my favourite track from the album which comes just before this – I Heard “Honky Tonk in Mexico” a few times last summer on Whitney’s EU/UK tour and it stood out (I’m a sucker for a catchy tune).
Upon hearing the recorded version, nothing has changed my opinion – it’s a Summer hit in my book and if you have any sense, you’ll get it up on repeat at full volume out on the patio, so the neighbours can enjoy it as well.

Whitney’s always had a bit of the band Blondie in her repertoire too – and on this album “Barb Wire Blossom” fits that niche – more “I’m always touched (by your presence dear)” than “Hanging on the Telephone” it also surprisingly – and wonderfully – incorporates a bit of the Thin Lizzy twin guitar sound into this song telling of the dangers of attraction.

To bring things back round to where they started, the album started with a song about stories and it ends with a fable – “Mermaid in a Pantsuit” is a strummed, chillout account of surviving in an unfamiliar environment – think Julee Cruise and a gentler Twin peaks and you’ll be in the ball park.
It’s a song which musically edges out of Rose’s usual style, but fits well amongst a collection of songs where she’s found a strong voice and a set of players who are sympathetic in their delivery.

It’s an album which has clearly risen out of difficult times – and as Edvard Munch says “Art comes from joy and pain…But mostly from pain”.
Revealing and sharing that art has a cathartic effect for the artist and its impact is increased for the listener, who senses and shares the authenticity – and that’s certainly the case here on “Rosie” which, with its mix of soulful, classic pop and country influences, showcases Whitney Rose’s music in its truest form. 2023 is providing us with some excellent releases and this is up there with the best.

Review by Nick Barber
Released May 19th 2023

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