Classy, jazzy debut warrants full attention.
Born and raised in Boston, in 2016 Talia Rose relocated to study jazz at New York University. It was a move that would lead to a Master’s in Jazz Performance from New England Conservatory. With that background then it should come as no surprise that her debut album ‘Carry It Closely’ draws heavily on this musical backstory. Sitting comfortably for the most part in the background, this jazz influence rises to the surface to take centre stage from time-to-time, melding seamlessly alongside folk, bluegrass and elements of indie-pop.
If that jazz influence is a constant then it is Rose’s intricate guitar playing and arrangements that make the most immediate impact. After a minute of album opener ‘Hold On Still’ the template for this gentle and atmospheric album has been set. Intricate guitar work leads into what is the other feature of the album; the gorgeous harmony vocals of Heather Scott. The melding together of these two vocals is a musical marriage made in heaven. Taken together, all these aspects have created an album that manages to be both sparse and luxuriously layered at the same time.
Those harmonies are simply wonderful throughout but never better than on the old-time feel of ‘House Painted Green.’ It is a little gem of a track and also affords the opportunity for Rose to demonstrate that she has, literally, more than one sting to her bow as a multi-instrumentalist. Other tracks move the tempo of the album up a notch. ‘Columbus Ohio’ and ‘In August’, both chosen as singles to promote the album, offer much more in terms of tempo and pace and, in the respect of helping the album gain a toehold in the big bad competitive world of independent music, are perfect choices.
‘Carry It Closely’ is an album that could easily be allowed to drift along in the background without making an impact. The songs and instrumentation do have that jazzy undertone that, on first listen, blend into an unremarkable whole. But this is an album that warrants greater respect and a whole bigger attention span than that. The layers and textures on offer here offer more with each subsequent listen. Jack Broza, who, as well as producer has added his piano and keyboard to the mix has clearly recognised the burgeoning talent of Rose and done a fantastic job of bringing all disparate parts together. The result is a classy debut which promises a bright future for Talia Rose.
