The occasional struggle with growing up is something twenty-somethings can easily relate to nowadays. Beginning an occupation, traveling the world, or figuring out where your head is within your relationships can take tremendous effort but some take on these tasks in good stride such as Nashville singer/songwriter Caitlin Rose, who is growing a name for herself and her off-country brand of honky-tonk with her full-length debut record Own Side Now as a catalyst/proof of progress and recently re-released out of ATO Records earlier this autumn after a lengthy tour in Europe and the US coasts promoting it.
Vocally, she’s a voice trained by the likes of Zooey Deschannel, Feist and Kimya Dawson but with a backing band including, but not limited to, Jeremy Fetzer, Spencer Cullum Jr., David Vaughn and Jeff Cullum each picking, thumping, and sliding through the 10 tracks, earning the album its genuine Nashville credit in addition to Rose’s voice. The nicely produced country slide guitar, walking bass and brushed drums underneath the honky-tonk piano and some mandolin, or a nicely placed string section or organ freshly mold to a Linda Rondstadt feel while all the musicians still solo turn in proper “show me what you got” barroom fashion, adding a nice peppiness.
Rose’s lyrics carry the takes on life’s tribulations, though, appropriately starting with “Learning to Ride,” as she whimsically sings her bumpy but optimistic tale before starting into a sick-of-love theme prevalent throughout Own Side Now with “For the Rabbits,” about a beau’s addiction to staleness before “Spare Me” runs over notions of being tied-down in a relationship. There’s great locomotive harmonica on the last one, switching things up musically, just like “Things Change” sings that particular message accented by a thunderous floor tom and simplistically poignant piano. “Shanghai Cigarette” stands as the album’s single as well as the most optimistic view on the subject comparing love to cigarette addiction.
But the other side to that story doesn’t go unmentioned as her sentiments of freedom and wonderment throughout the album are heard in the jovial traveling folk number, “New York,” as well as the previously mentioned and happily paced “Learning to Ride,” both praising the power of personal choice and free will in their own ways. And that is something twenty-somethings can relate to even more nowadays.
The last leg of her tour on the bottom leg of the east coast finished up late November but updated information about live shows around the area as well as merchandise and copies of Own Side Now can be found (digitally or pre-ordered vinyl press) at thecaitlinrose.com.
