Album Review : Blue Roses - Blue Roses
- Written by David Lichfield
Yorkshire musician Blue Roses, aka Laura Groves, is the latest in a long line of Kate Bush indebted folk-tinged singer-songwriters taking as much from the classical genre as from obvious comtemporaries such as Regina Spektor and Joanna Newsom. A delicate, summery collection, the album's subtlety requires much concentration and patience given it's slow-burning introspection. Opening with the sweeping double-tracked vocals of 'Greatest Thoughts', by showcasing her most substantial hooks in the captivating first three tracks, the album's obvious prettiness is compromised by it's tendency to melt into the background.
This trend begins in track four, the generic 6/8 simplicity of 'Can't Sleep' and continues through the seven-minute indulgence of 'I Wish I...', a sleepy blend of spiralling grand piano, strings and layered backing vocals that meanders through several drawn-out segments in search of a melody that never seems to make itself known. Nonetheless, 'I Am Leaving' and the glockenspiel sprightliness of the harp-enhanced 'Cover Your Tracks' succeed through their organic, airy charm, and like several moments on the album recall both Joni Mitchell and the sadly-disbanded Monkey Swallows the Universe, albeit without the humour.
Groves' dainty yet impassioned tones would be easily suited to several other genres, although they're not always as fragile as the wispy instrumentation backing them. When 'Rebecca' morphs into sombre indie-rock, the change of tone is welcome despite the conservatism of the melodies. Additionally, some of the arrangements, particularly on tracks such as 'Coast', with it's well-worn folk imagery are not as stirring as it would seem they would like to be. Consequentially, Blue Roses is difficult to see through to the end. While the crisp finish of the production work is to be admired, it threatens to overshadow the actual songwriting in 'Does Anyone Love Me Now?' or 'Doubtful Comforts'. An album so steeped in it's indie-folk genre that it's unlikely to win over those whose tastes aren't already there, its minimal twee longing becomes quite testing over the course of the full 45 minutes.
Despite the criticisms, Groves' blend of glistening acoustics, piano, percussion and strings hints at potential magic. If there is only really an E.P. worth of truly engaging material here, the debut album's strong start shows she has the tools and the vision to build upon her blueprint and produce a more enchanting collection in the future.