Al Rose
by Ellen Stenard
The third album from folk artist
Al Rose is an intricate knot work of metaphors and lyrical turns of phrase.
He paints each song with such depth sometimes the result leaves the listener
a bit acrophobic. Other times he knows just the right point in which to ground
us with pointedly simplistic lines such as the finishing words of "Metaphor"
where he reminds us that "sometimes a scar is just a scar." He balances the
complexity of his verse with unadorned melodies and the delivery of a spoken
word artist.
Pigeon's Throat is beautifully
recorded, each guitar string rings warm and every instrument fits closely within
each song's texture. Subtle backing instruments like the organ in "Lighter
Than a Feather" make their presence known only by feel and depth. Rose gathers
an impressive collection of musicians for this album. Backing vocalist Laura
Blye's voice is so strong on "Roots
and Vines" I had to check to make sure it was not a cameo by Ani DiFranco
that I was hearing belting out those soulful notes.
The standout track of this album
has to be the spooky "Polish
My Car" with vocal harmonies reminiscent of the Manhattan Transfer on a
very dark day. Here Rose drifts into jazz influenced rhythms with gorgeous fretless
bass swells and offbeat percussion. I would love to see Rose continue to explore
this kind of composition, focusing on his gift for harmony, texture and contrasting
instrumentation.