A beautiful collection of thoughtful and heartfelt songs that while gentle, remain impactful.
It’s been just two years since Roseanne Reid released her critically acclaimed debut LP – produced by her upcoming 2022 UK tour companion Teddy Thompson – but she’s back with a new four-track EP that while unassuming in nature, still manages to set her apart and show her as a unique voice in the UK Americana scene.
On the opener, ‘You Underestimate Me’, haunting vocals and echoing acoustic guitar pull you in as Reid warns the listener not to count her out and make lazy assumptions based on appearance alone: “I stopped a-sailing before I went too far / I jumped in the water and sank to the deep / If you don’t think I’m moving / You underestimate me”.
‘Tentsmuir Sky’ is serene and soothing, which in turn is perfect for a song whose lyrics extol the beauty of the natural world (“Redshank fly, Roe deer run / Run away fly away, if not tomorrow then today / Chase the morning, don’t go let it pass you by / And the sun is rising, filling up the Tentsmuir Sky”). The track was inspired by Fife’s Tentsmuir Forest, a place where Reid found such joy in reconnecting with nature that it sparked a new interest in horticulture so strong she named the EP after it.
‘Fly High’ has a pure, delicate beauty in both its sound and in the reverence it pays to a friend Reid tragically lost suddenly. “So go fly high my love / Yeah go fly high my love,” Reid offers to the departed on the chorus. “And who can really see beyond the sky / I’m no believer but for you I’ll try,” she later adds with searing honesty.
The final song, ‘Passing Through’, is a simple meditation on accepting the small part you play in the world and being happy with that (“So I’m gonna leave the stars to the sky and the mystery to the mind / Leave the conquering to the voyagers and let ‘em keep what they find / I’m gonna take one day at a time and just enjoy the view”). The final line leaves us with a poignant sentiment: “The world spins on and I’m just passing through”. Reid may, like us all, just be passing through, but with songs like these, she’ll certainly leave a lasting impression.
