This must be where vocals go when they die.
Rose Kemps influences seem too numerous to mention, however they can all be heard on this possibly rock-opera, possibly, folk, possibly metal album which occasionally comes across like a melding of PJ Harvey and the Dresden Dolls, but sometimes not at all like either. This album is impossible to categorise, sometimes heavy and powerful and sometimes dreamy and floaty, but always brilliant.
‘Dirty Glow’ begins the album in an appropriately eclectic way; feeling at first like a metal track, but with a strong emphasis on the strings and keyboard there is scope for it to go anywhere; and of course it does just that. Kemp’s vocals are mesmerising, with a massive range, she can be light and girlie or powerful and gruff and on this opener she slides easily between glam, heavy rock and folk from bar to bar. ‘Bitter and Sweet’ is all attitude, hypnotic beats and guitars under an amazing display of vocal gymnastics that makes you stop in your tracks.
‘Flawless’ has a moody opening using minor chords before switching to major for a sweet piano tune accompanied by Rose in an almost operatic style that brings to mind Regina Spektor; the melody is so haunting that it will give you shivers, and when the strings come in half way through, you’d have to be very hard hearted not to feel a twinge. ‘Flawless’ is followed up with the equally moving ‘Saturday Night’ which is lyrically one of the most memorable tracks and musically has a very strong finish. In the closing stages of the record, ‘Milky White’ is a emotional battering ram, commanding your attention and pinning you down and ‘Unholy’ is an epic length distorted, fuzzy progressive-rock track, building through a series of crescendos to leave you breathless and reaching again for the play button.
A fascinating and addictive album, as soon as it’s finished you want to hear it again; these are powerful songs not only because of the way they twist and turn and belie your attempts to guess where they might be going, but because of the incredible way Rose Kemp uses that huge voice of hers. This is an emotional, often melancholy journey that is sometimes, almost overwhelming.