![]() Rosco proves he too can sing on the truly great Duet, which is just that, driven by thumping piano as the story unfolds of a couple being pulled apart by ambition. ![]() Donny Part Two continues the story and Irish folky flavour in jaunty style. The first vocal song follows, Donovan Ellington, a folky story song with Byrds-like jangly guitar, Ric’s wonderfully vibrant fiddle, and a sort of Eastern feel. It’s a powerful and assertive introduction which drifts in on shimmering guitars, then marches on triumphantly, interrupted now and again with a bubbly distorted melody. So where do we start? Well we Start With the Corners apparently, and so begins a thrilling ride with a sort of short overture, or more accurately, strut. To take these flavours and create a new and exciting recipe of her own is a tribute to her undoubted talent, and she is fast developing a very distinctive sound. There’s a nod to Bowie in some of the quirky arrangements, a tip of the hat to Kate Bush, and moments which really remind me of the late great Randy California. The obvious point of reference is The Beatles, and their influence abounds, and many other influences pop up along the way. So Two Piece Puzzle is definitely a step forward from the debut, and is easily her best work to date, and given the quality of previous songs, that is saying something. She has an ear for detail, and was probably tempted to keep layering as ideas arose, but to her credit, she has allowed the music room to breathe, despite some complex arrangements. The psychedelic leanings of the debut are continued and extended here, and as usual, Rosalie’s compositions twist and turn in unexpected directions several times in each song. The only other contributor is the excellent Ric Sanders, fiddle player for Fairport Convention who appears at regular intervals, adding jaunty colour and depth. If you haven’t already, listen to the whole album.Denied access to her band members during lockdown, this amazing follow-up to 2019’s debut solo effort has been lovingly crafted by Rosalie together with her partner Rosco Wilson, and the creative juices have most certainly been flowing. Songwriters are like authors, you can’t half write a story and leave it unfinished. The songs on the album may be on the longer side, but songs are as long as they need to be. However, if it does exist, this must be pretty damn close. Ritchie Blackmore once said that he was always searching for a musical nirvana and that it wasn’t really tangible as it probably didn’t even exist. The Beatles at their most playful, Joni Mitchell, Genesis, Deep Purple and I love it. I’m hearing so many influences in just this one song if so many bands I grew up listening to. ![]() This has so many wonderful prog elements coupled with some folk for good measure and takes you to a place where you thought it wouldn’t ever go. ![]() I’ve always loved music that defies the ‘formula’. It has only ever happened to me on three occasions previously. There is nothing so soul satisfying as finding something that you weren’t even looking for and having it change your life. I hadn’t even heard of Rosalie before and stumbled upon her album quite by accident. ![]()
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