I do like this band but I decided to focus on their image as well as the music (not a very original idea as other people are taking the same line - but it is an important point). There is an inherent paradox here between what the band sound like and how they look. Their website is a wonderfully spooky gothic world instead of just a some plain text which is easy to read and navigate through. On the record, at best they sound like just another indie band - some good tunes, structure, arrangements, solid vocals etc, but at worse they sound like they are trying too hard to be weird. I may be a bit obsessed with this but it is an interesting exploration into why bands do this sort of thing.
The review:
Image is a wonderful thing. Forming a band is not always just about getting together a group of like-minded individuals and free thinking souls - it is often centred around creating an image. The whole is every bit as important as the constituent parts so why shouldn't a band be a defined entity in its own right? The name Rosie And The Goldbug, courtesy of Edgar Allan Poe, sets up the exterior mood and demeanour of the gothic trio. Dwelling in deepest darkest Cornwall beside the lonely wilds of Bodmin Moor, the band plied their trade without the distractions of television, friends or money. It conjures up a wonderful image of a lost world in which to explore; to create and realise your art. The only thing strange about this is that Rosie And The Goldbug are not as strange as they appear.The absence of a lead guitar in the band is one of the most endearing traits. The sound is created from a stark combination of piano, drums (from Plums who is mainly excellent throughout) and bass so the music is defined and separated. Coupled with the striking vocals of lead singer Rosie Vanier and a fourth instrument is introduced, while retaining the freedom and space to breathe. The production is a lot more polished than you would expect, both good and bad. But there is a tendency to rely on empty vocals and buzzing electronica rather than melody driven instrumentation or swathes of strings. This approach is frustrating.
'Rosie And The Goldbug' opens with the debut single 'Lover' - the least typical song on the album mainly due to guitarist Pixie swapping his bass for rhythm. The sound washes through everything and overshadows delicate piano and keyboard arrangements. For a band who benefit from a much more striped down set-up, this doesn't feel right (and seems to immediately go against the band's ethos to be the antithesis to, as the band put it, 'boring old indie guitar wank') . That said, it is a well constructed pop song. Described as a cross between Kate Bush and Allison Goldfrapp, Rosie's vocals are more Wendy James, and even then it is not accurate - her voice is a hybrid of many different influences resulting in something entirely unique. It keeps the ordinary interesting.
From this slightly misleading start, the album meanders through a series of niggling inconsistencies. 'War of The Roses (Because You Said So)' is punchy punk-pop melodrama about failed romance and falling out over food choices: "With your peaches and your strawberries and your double cream; bananas in the fridge. You can't eat for more than a week and it's all gone off so I threw it in the bin". The echoey vocal ending is a neat touch but quickly spoiled by more of the same stomp. There are few dodgy moments but none more so than the horrible 'Butterfly'. Everything about the song does not work: the opening drums, the piano, the wordless vocals, the nursery rhyme feel, the screaming and operatic mock-Sparks vibe, the obvious lyrics. And at nearly two minutes, things get worse as Rosie shouts incoherently. It is a vacuous pointless mess.
Back on course after the early stumble, 'Feeling' is more Tori Amos than Kate Bush, letting a persistent piano drive it forward. The vocals on the chorus are exquisite but do veer toward the wailing at times. The artificial sounding 'Heartbreak' only escapes its flat structure on the chorus, a repetitive yet engaging vocal exercise. The pace throughout is relentless. Rosie goes robotic for a few lines and then a gorgeous cello transforms the keyboards into something more real. Annoyingly it is far too short but when the rest of the band return, a fantastic vocal arrangement fills the senses. Even the synth ending works.
'Soldier Blues' is two minutes of spooky build up into a minute and a half of sustained dramatic theatre. But the empty vocals are lazy and unnecessary. 'Contain You' provides one of Rosie's best vocals, particularly on the chorus, and the band stay just the right side of disappearing into the world of 'symphonic metal'. The backing is filed with more vibrant vocals and another strong outro provides a lift. The wonderful 'You've Changed' at last uses the wordless vocal to great effect, borrowing from 'Hounds Of Love' (more a tribute than a rip-off). It is about as far from the band's image as it gets, capturing more pop light than goth darkness. Even the 'talky bit' end is forgiven.
Into the last trilogy and the feeling is that the creative process is running out of ideas. 'Strange Girl' is one simple piano riff and lots of operatic attention-seeking. Within all the pomp is a decent song but it is nothing new. Much more subdued is 'In The Red', even when the drums and buzzy keyboards wade in Rosie keeps the vocals under control. The layered vocal chorus has a beguiling effect, distracting from the main voice. By the end it could just be a lost single from No Doubt. Closing song 'Springtime Dreaming' is a safe but not entirely predictable ending. Instead of a huge rousing finale, the band choose a small subtle slice of poetry with minimal accompaniment. The vocals are world-weary and reflective as Rosie croons lines like: "I look through window panes, at a grass like a lion's mane; and the blue sky is rich with light and my heart beats full of life. And I wish for all my dreams...". It sounds like it was written in her more impressionable teenage years and now reluctantly resurrected. A brave attempt at an honest ballad but lacking any lasting impact.
Rosie And The Goldbug has created a good but fairly ordinary debut album. The band constantly veer towards synth-pop and opera in order to sound a bit weird rather than keeping things organic. When it is allowed to breathe, the piano takes a welcome centre stage and Rosie needs to control her voice which is much better when levelled and focused. The main problem, apart from being a solid collection of songs ruined by one lack of judgement (the woeful 'Butterfly'), is such a strong projected image. It remains a thin façade. Behind all the gothic overtones, darkness and black eyeliner, Rosie And The Goldbug are not as mysterious as they think they are.
-- CS (for The Music Magazine)
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