After seeing her last year at The Social in London and by no means 
capturing the audiences imagination, I was somewhat surprised to read that Caitlin Rose has recently playing in the US with the likes of Phosphorescent, Bill Callahan and Akron Family. There was a pretty, young girl with a quaint southern twang but her songs, that night sung alone with acoustic guitar, and some just with tambourine, rarely suggested anything beyond another traditional female country singer. This debut album however, proves that she most definitely has something worth listening to.
Rose has a breezy style of letting lyrics slip from her breath and there will understandably be comparisons to Zooey Deschanel, with similarities to her rounded delivery, along with a few big choruses Jenny Lewis would be proud of.
The winning factor Rose has here though is the earnestness that runs through both her lyrics and delivery. Typical of this is first single For The Rabbits, apparently written when she was just 16. String laden with a rich, building 60s sound. there’s a seriousness and almost a naivety that befits her tender age whilst still displaying a way with words that resonate through any age. It’ll be hard for any listener to hear lines like ‘looking back over my life it’s wrong how much I’ve changed for you’ without taking a moment of reflection over their own lives.
Things Change, at just under six minutes, is the stand out track for various reasons and is very much the beauty of the album encapsulated in one track. The lyrics paint a picture of a life hardened woman reflecting on wasted times spent on wasted men while the sparse backing supports Rose’s vocal, allowing all the space her delivery and tone needs. What’s remarkable about this song is not only the world weary lyrics but an astonishing vocal performance. Despite still sounding like the 23 year old you know she is, lines like “No I never wore your wedding ring, I regret I never could. Never mothered your child or seen you in its smile” are delivered with such startling tone and beauty that you entirely lend your heart to this woman.
In the literal sense, this album is easy listening. To have it on as background music provides a pleasant enough listen but the more time you give it, the more you are rewarded. With a more concentrated listen there are plenty of universal truths in her everywoman lyrics that will immediately resonate with you and, if you let them, bring a tear to your eye.
