Girl at the Rock Shows

It’s miserable outside. It’s muggy as all get out and the second I walk outside, my glasses fog over. Thankfully for me, I still have about an hour before I have to subject myself to the heat again for my show of the night, so while the boyfriend is cooking dinner, I figure I could spend some time with some new music, starting with ‘The Do Now See’– the new EP from Olympia, Washington-based Oh, Rose. Okay, maybe calling this a “new EP” is slightly misleading. This is actually the 10th-anniversary cassette reissue of the group’s debut EP. That being said, I’ve never heard of Oh, Rose before this, so if it’s new to me, it’s probably new to some of you as well. With that in mind, I will continue to reference this EP as “new” for lack of a better term.

This quick five-song EP starts with the calming track “Prom.” The guitarwork that kicks this song off instantly reminded me a bit of Moldy Peaches. It’s imperfectly perfect with the fuzz in the recording. It’s clear that this fuzz is intentional as the vocals and the rest of the band come in. A slight smoky haze casts a shadow over everything in this opening track, but don’t misconstrue that for a lack of energy. The vocals soar with a raw emotion that shines through the haze. Even though this track remains raw and imperfect, I love how the vocals grow and fade throughout the song to emphasize the beautiful words dancing along the beat.

Although the title track still has the same undeniable sense of power, a feeling of darkness takes over the vocals in this song, showcasing the many sides of Oh, Rose. At just two minutes and fifty seconds long, this is the shortest track on this EP, but it definitely packs an emotional punch. I also love how the ebb and flow of sonic pleasure continues from the opening track into this one. I know a lot of albums could be considered rollercoasters, but by the end of this second track alone, I knew that this would be a wild ride worthy of a seatbelt.

“Out of Sight” instantly hit me like a lullaby. There’s such a sense of comfort that radiates from this song in such an epic way. Sure, it’s a bit sleepy compared to what I typically listen to, but on a day when I feel like I haven’t had a second to stop, this four-minute track acted like a meditative moment. The way that the vocals repeat, “Out of sight, out of mind,” is hauntingly beautiful, and it’s so easy to get lost in that line alone that, by the end of the track, you are left wondering what just happened. You are also left with a feeling of ease that, in a world where we all try to go at breakneck speeds at all times, is all we can really ask for.

Just as I was getting all lost in my feelings during “Out of Sight,” Oh, Rose throws “Luke Rose” at you. This song has a very playful attitude in it. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a chill and calming Oh, Rose classic, but there’s more attention to a sense of love in this song rather than darkness, and, for me, that feeling of love has an almost playful energy about it. Although I felt that this song had a bit more life than the previous track, there was still this practically hypnotizing element to the song that had me in a bit of a trance throughout this song in a truly gorgeous way.

“Into the Chorus” is the final track on this five-song EP. Although I would have loved to get a more rocking final track from Oh, Rose since we have already seen so many sides of this amazing band and were lacking that one, I love that they end it in a way that only Oh, Rose could. Another hauntingly beautiful charmer, this song will drift you peacefully back to the real world or allow you to continue to bask in the comfort and calmness of Oh, Rose. The next move is up to you, but regardless of what you choose, the siren-like vocals of “Into the Chorus” will stick with you.

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