Rosalie Cunningham's 'Rosalie Cunningham' - Album Review

I was a latecomer when it came to the British psychedelic rockers Purson. I remember quite a few of my rock and prog-loving friends banging on about them for a couple of years before I actually bothered to take the plunge - which I only did as the band announced a show in Plymouth about a five minute walk away from my house. I listened to the band's 2013 debut album The Circle and the Blue Door a few times before the gig, but it was the show that made a fan. I enjoy the band's albums, but live the song took on another dimension. Despite appearing as a five-piece band, in truth Purson was largely the brainchild of frontwoman and multi-instrumentalist Rosalie Cunningham. Live she fronted the band and played the lion's share of the lead guitar parts, but in the studio she essentially created the whole Purson sound - especially on 2016's Desire's Magic Theatre album which was released shortly after their show in Plymouth. Nearly everything, with the exception of the drums and a few other little bits and pieces, was played by Cunningham meaning that Purson was essentially just her going under the guise of a band. Unfortunately however, Purson were relatively short-lived, and around a year or so after I saw them for the first time (I also caught them later in 2016 at the Cambridge Rock Festival) the band were no more. It was a real shame that Purson were over just as they really seemed to be gathering some serious momentum, but some things just are not meant to last. A short while later however, Cunningham announced that she was going to write a record a solo album which - given that Purson's albums were essentially solo albums anyway - was an exciting prospect. The album's creative and recording process seemed to be a fraught one for Cunningham however, as she was one of the artists affected by the Pledgemusic scandal which still has not been resolved. In fact I still have not received a refund for my initial pre-order of Cunningham's album via that platform, and probably never will, but it was the artists that were mainly affected - with many committing to costs with the promise of pre-order money that never came. Cunningham was then picked up by long-standing alternative record label Cherry Red however, which I am sure helped her to get through the financial issues and provided her with a stable platform to once again launch a pre-order campaign. The album thankfully still got made, and was released last month - with a lovely signed copy dropping through my letterbox a month or so ago. I had wondered what the album would sound like, but it seems that Cunningham's self-titled debut album picks up exactly where Desire's Magic Theatre left off three years ago. Anyone who loved Purson will love this new album, as soundwise it is extremely similar. I did wonder whether she would look to deliberately move away from that sound, but if anything Cunningham has really doubled-down on the psychedelic, late 1960s-style rock sound that made Purson such a success.

The eight-track album kicks off with lead single Ride On My Bike, a cacophony of vaudeville aesthetic with pop sensibilities - a sound we have come to expect from Cunningham. A fuzzy guitar riff opens the piece, before plinky piano rhythms and grinding organ join the fray for a perfect time machine back to the late 1960s. There are songs here that sound somewhat less Purson-esque, but this is a song that could have fit easily on either of the band's albums. Cunningham's rich voice sounds fantastic here, and her playful lyrics and vocal melodies sound as good as they ever have. Her vocal performance throughout this album is possibly her best yet, and the instrumentation (again, largely Cunningham's handiwork with the help of a few guests) is tighter. The opening track is largely fairly laid back, despite a driving beat, but an instrumental break sees a foray into hard rock territory, borrowing more from bands like Uriah Heep than The Beatles. It works well to inject some energy into the piece however, and ensures the opening single is a catchy, yet dynamic offering. Fuck Love is largely keyboard-driven, with stabs of organ heralding the song's beginning during a dramatic intro - before a choppy verse takes over with a bouncy organ riff and effects-heavy guitar leads forming the basis of the piece. The lyrics have a tongue-in-cheek and satirical vibe, which suits Cunningham's dulcet delivery perfectly, while the carnival romp around her oozes melody and class - especially from the selection of retro keyboard textures. A short guitar solo showcases Cunningham's guitar prowess, but this is rarely an album that descends into indulgent lengthy instrumental sections. The cutting loose is always tasteful, and the solo here allows a few moments of biting melody - which suit the lyrical themes perfectly - before the laid back organ shuffle takes over once again. House of the Glass Red reigns in the poppier overtones of the opening two numbers, and showcases Cunningham's more progressive influences. It is clear from her work throughout the years that she has been influenced by bands like Curved Air, and those influences are shown here with a layered progressive sound that mixes lots of different vibes together for a grand, yet whimsical sound. Acoustic guitars are ever-present here, with Cunningham often using the simple chord structure as the basis of the song, and then adding more retro keyboards and effects-heavy vocals atop it. Sparkly electric piano melodies form the basis of the instrumental breaks, while fuzzy slide guitars fill the verses and provide a counter melody to the sultry vocal delivery. Distorted wordless vocal melodies are also used throughout for effect, something which also adds to the dense overall sound.

Dethroning of the Party Queen ups the urgency somewhat compared to the previous number, and removes the acoustic guitar layers for a more-traditional electric guitar rhythm - but again it is the keyboards that drive the piece. Organs and pianos again team up for an atmospheric and evocative soundscape, all while a snaking bassline keeps time. Cunningham has a knack for writing songs that are deceivingly rocking. Her songs rarely move along at a pace above what you might call 'mid-pace', but the playfulness of the songs and the jaunty circus-esque rhythms always keep the songs ticking along nicely. This is one the pieces that particularly benefits from this approach. Samuel Thompson's drums move along at fairly relaxed pace, but the song still maintains a kinetic energy. I believe it is the mix of instrumentation that gives the song this feeling, and the diversity of the instruments used which means that something new is never too far away. Nobody Hears is more of a stripped-back piece however, with a lengthy keyboard intro that helps to set the tone - before a lone acoustic guitar takes over which forms the basis of the verse. The song is one that builds up gradually as it moves along, but early portions feature Cunningham singing alone with her guitar - before other instrumentation slowly joins the fray. A simple bass drum soon adds some rhythm, while other guitar lays chime in for effect and a pulsing bassline compliments the percussion. The verses maintain this one-man-band feel throughout, while the choruses open up slightly, with a more-expansive waltz-esque drum beat to keep everything moving. Riddles and Games picks back up on the playful melodies and rhythms featured earlier, and taps back into the Purson-vein that opened up the album. There is much of a hard rock feel here however, with the whole song moving along at a faster pace, putting more of an emphasis on a rock beat and driving rhythm guitars. The verses are more laid back, but the chorus is an explosive hard rock moment - featuring some of Cunningham's best vocals on the album and a driving organ presence. Uriah Heep comparisons can once again be made, and the piece ends up sounding a bit like Uriah Heep covering The Doors while being fronted by Sonja Kristina - which in fairness is not a bad way to sum up the entire album. There is a bit more rock showmanship here too, with a couple of more-extended guitar solos that include a lot of period wah effects, as well as the aforementioned organ which really growls out of the speakers. The song is one of the album's best, and one of Cunningham's best compositions yet in my opinion.

Butterflies is a gentle piece, and is largely based around a fairly simple acoustic guitar pattern which Cunningham croons atop. Other instruments occasionally join the fray, such as a short instrumental section which features what sounds like a Mellotron in the lead role, but on the whole this is a piece that focuses mainly on the voice and guitar of Cunningham. Much of the album takes on a layered approach, with songs that feature a lot of music and ideas crammed into fairly short running times - but this one revels in simplicity, which is perhaps apt given the song that follows it! The album's final piece is the thirteen-minute epic A Yarn from the Wheel, which sounds like a song that has been a long time coming for Cunningham. She has displayed her prog influences and credentials previously, but is the first time she has gone all-out and written a true prog epic. The song does not deviate far from her usual style however, but instead doubles down on the vaudeville feeling and goes for an all-out psychedelic freak out. Unsurprisingly given the song's length, there are prominent instrumental sections. The first major change takes the song into a somewhat Pink Floyd-esque direction, with guitar swells that echo Echoes and drawn out vocals that recall that early 1970s period where psychedelia was still a big part of the British musical tapestry. Spoken work sections appear periodically throughout the piece too, adding some thespian drama to the already-dense and meandering piece. Cunningham has thrown everything at the song, and it really shows. Despite the song clearly being made up of a number of sections, with quite abrupt changes at times, everything holds together nicely. The pieces sit nicely alongside each other, with more gentle acoustic sections holding hands with organ wig outs - perfectly showing Cunningham's diverse talents in the process. Other musicians are credited with some guitar, bass, and keyboard parts, but I believe that the lion's share of what is heard here is Cunningham's own doing. The organ playing throughout this album in particular is stunning, and aside from recent albums from the likes of Uriah Heep and Deep Purple - there have been few organ performances this good for a number of years. As the song moves towards a close, the instrumentation gets more gentle and atmospheric, with the Floyd-esque feelings returning to allow the piece to come a keyboard-heavy and droning close - save for a tiny carnival reprise right at the end. It is a perfect end to an album that does so much in a relatively short run time (around 45 minutes), and showcases lots of vibes and influences. Overall, Rosalie Cunningham's debut solo album is a triumph. It picks up perfectly where Purson and Desire's Magic Theatre left off three years ago, but builds on that established formula and forays deeper into more progressive territories which perfectly show of Cunningham and her talents.

The album was released on 26th July 2019 via Esoteric Antenna/Cherry Red Records. Below is her promotional video for Ride On My Bike.