Baby Rose has a sound out of another time. Her voice has shades of Nina, the vibrato a dead giveaway that she is inspired by Mother Ancestor. Beyond that, her influences range from ’70s funk a la Curtis Mayfield and Sly & the Family Stone (“Fight Club,” with the ever-commanding Georgia Ann Muldrow) as well as elements of bands like Deep Purple and in some ways David Bowie when he was in the throes of his Ziggy Stardust phase.
It’s lovely to hear such a diversified sound in a world where everyone tries so hard to find one lane and stay in it. Although I’m loath to use the cliché, Baby Rose does offer a breath of freshness to the stale wind of today’s soundscapes. There’s so much emotional depth, so much weight and texture to her tone that I believe every word she says. As if she’s speaking to something twisting inside me that needs someone to keep it company.
Tracks like “Dance With Me” and “Paranoid” really do reach out to the listener and grab onto the hardest parts of their lived experience to soothe and caress. If nothing else, Baby Rose ensures her captive audience that she understands every single one of those who dare to listen. That she offers her experience as a beacon and a means of commiseration.