Written by Maria Arroyo
Singer/songwriter, Rose Cousins, is thrilled to share her new album, Bravado!
Her album is unlike others I’ve heard and been able to experience her musical skills and writing styles is amazing. This is an excerpt from her website to get an idea as to what she’s trying to accomplish with her new album. “‘Bravado’ is a record for those who struggle with loneliness and those wishing they had more time alone. It’s for those who present a version of themselves to the world that doesn’t quite match how they feel inside. It’s for those who feel misunderstood or unseen. It’s for those who have a hard time saying what they feel, who hide or can’t let themselves off the hook. It’s for those asking, ‘Is this it?’ and questioning if the character they play in the movie of their lives is authentic or just a role they’ve accepted. It’s for those who have a hard time asking for help and for those desperate for and terrified of change.”
“The Benefits of Being Alone” has a very contemporary pop feel to it in the lyrics and instrumentation. Her melody and lyrics are well written and catchy and the use of horns in parts of the song was a nice touch.
“The Expert” continues to showcase her incredible songwriting skills along with showing us a more balanced sound. The song sounds familiar so we can connect to the song, but not too similar that it mimics other songs. I really loved how the melody and lyrics work together to create a fluid concept for the song.
Her next song is “The Agreement”, which shows her more intimate side. Her choice of instrumentation is stellar and how she is able to work them into her lyrics is done so well. Her songs had tapped into my emotions and made me connect to her even further. I am truly obsessed with her vocals in this song and I really loved how she showcased her tangle and how effortless her voice sounds.
Her songs are all unique in their own way, but what I love the most is how carefully she picks her words to create these impeccable lyrical stories.
“Tell me how do you make it look simple… falling down deep into love… it takes all that I have just to stand here… and more not to run.”
These lyrics come from her song “The Fraud” and is probably my favorite set of lyrics from her album. I really could connect with every word, and I really appreciated her breathtaking arrangement of the string parts and how it intertwined so beautifully with the piano arrangement. In my opinion, everything this song has made me work that much harder to create these same kinds of intimate connections in my own music. The rise and fall within it all take the song to a whole new level. Her slight vibrato in the chorus is technically beautiful while still evoking such a real feeling. Honestly, I could have listened to this song all day!
The song “The Time Being (Impending Mortality Awareness Society)” brought forth a more eclectic set of lyrics with an introduction to a political angle.
The concept of time is extremely prevalent in this song. She has similar instrumental choices to the song before, but with more pop energy like the opening song. Pulling a lot of her melodic ideas together is her song “The Din.” It was a short bit that really tied the next couple of songs together very nicely.
“The Return (Love Comes Back)” brings forth a traditional contemporary band sound and circles around the idea. The contour of the melody of the vocals is done so well because it starts at a point that actually gives you the space to move up in intensity and create an impact. The softer drop just adds an element of anticipation to the end of the song.
The next couple of songs were also personal favorites from the album. “The Swimmer (To Be An Old Man)” is a very relatable song for lovers. In terms of the song structure and lyrics, they were simple but the concept and execution of the song are enough and do not warrant an overly complex arrangement. I completely connected with these feelings. Very simple in terms of the song structure and the lyrics, but the impact of the concept was enough that we didn’t need overly complex lyrics.
“The Lullaby (My Oldest Love)” is another remarkably beautiful song. There are a strong and beautiful melody and lyrical story that I really felt drawn to, bother as a listener and a songwriter.
Her next song “The Benediction (A Good Women)” also has a very catchy piano interlude and really represents a strong female musician that has sparked inspiration in me and I definitely think can do the same for others.
“Having The Truth (It’s Just Emotion)” has a nice vocal ending for the album, but arrangement-wise, the instrumentation didn’t fit any of the other songs. I think the concept fits well for the overall album, but if you base it just on sound, it is very out of place. I think having “The Reprise (The Benefits of Being Alone)” being the ending song would have been a better fit. Having the two versions of the songs as the opener and closer would have really tied the album in the most perfect bow. Nevertheless, this song was a great fit for an ending because it felt like a farewell to the album.
Her whole album sounds like you are right in the room with her. It’s intimate but relatable and easy to connect with. She explores so many topics that we’ve heard before, yet is still able to create a new perspective to it.
