Rosalie Cunningham's 'To Shoot Another Day' - Album Review

One of the most interesting solo acts in the progressive sphere these days has to be the multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter Rosalie Cunningham. Whilst many likely found her via her leadership of Purson, who were active between 2011 and 2017, she has arguably kicked on creatively since the band's sad demise - and last month she released her third solo album since Purson folded: To Shoot Another Day. In some ways, it is hard to sum up what Cunningham does. Her music is very much rooted in a mid/late 1960s and early 1970s psychedelic rock sound, but there is still plenty of progressive rock, hard rock, and whimsical pop in her songwriting - with each song often containing multiple different influences and really taking listeners on a journey. Her music will not be for everyone, and often requires attention, but it always gets better with age - and this latest solo offering is just as varied, dynamic, and creative as what came before. Purson's sound always felt more solidified, with less variation despite similar influences being present, but Cunningham as a solo artist really spreads her wings. Each of her albums has touches of Purson, and even whole songs which could have comfortably sat on either of Purson's albums, but they also contain so much more - which keeps each album interesting. As mentioned before, this latest opus, To Shoot Another Day, is her third - and it follows on from her 2019 self-titled debut album (which I reviewed here) and 2022's excellent Two Piece Puzzle (which I also reviewed here). Both are strong albums, but the latter in particular was a winner - and my opinion of it has only increased over the past couple of years. To Shoot Another Day certainly builds on the 2022 release in some ways, and there are some progressive pieces which would feel at home on the last album, but overall this latest album feels a little lighter in tone. There are strong pop sensibilities this time around, but there are still plenty of layers to the album's 10 songs - aided by the use of plenty of retro instruments throughout. As usual, much of what is heard hear is down to Cunningham. She plays guitars, bass, and keyboards throughout - as well as singing of course. Her partner Rosco Wilson handles some guitars and drums, and also co-wrote some of the songs, but generally Cunningham is on hand to provide what is required. There are guests here, though, with former Purson bandmate Raphael Mura playing most of the drums and singer-songwriter David Woodcock contributing some extra piano and organ on a few songs. Others pop up here and there, but the bulk of what is heard here comes from the four musicians already mentioned - and the guests all feed into Cunningham's retro mindset perfectly. As with her previous work, including Purson, the retro vibes all feel genuine. There are no contrived sounds here - with the album having an authentic, old-school pop sound which compliments her past work whilst doing something a bit different.

As with everything Cunningham has done in the past, too, there is a real sophistication to the album. Everything here is really well produced and sounds great, despite the old-school sound, and this is evident throughout the opening title track - which has a real grandeur to it that is a bit different to Cunningham's usual approach. Swirling dual guitar leads and rumbling Hammond organ kick off the track with a slow-burning feel - and once Cunningham starts to sing the track sits back on something of a lounge/jazz-esque groove. Cunningham's organ and Woodcock's piano create this warm, full sound which is packed full of character - whilst the groove from the bass and the drums (played here by Itamar Rubinger (Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats)) creates a 1930s feel, over which Cunningham sings in a sultry manner. This vocal approach is perfect given the song's historic and jazzy feel - whilst the soaring guitar leads root the song in the 1970s progressive rock scene, which is later expanded on during a playful solo which flits around rather unexpectedly. The solo channels some of the bounce of the song's prominent piano playing, too, and the swelling chorus vocals allow the melodies to stick in the brain early on. The slow-burning, yet epic, piece is a great way to open the album - and it immediately showcases a bit of a different side to Cunningham's songwriting. Timothy Martin's Conditioning School, which follows, is a bit more typical-sounding, though. It is a much spikier rocker overall, with Cunningham responsible for everything apart from Mura's drumming, and it is certainly a track which harks back to Purson quite a bit. The vaudeville rock sound channels that Purson feel in quite a bit way - and it is a high energy piece throughout with hard-hitting guitar riffing and some dark electric piano backing at times to add depth. Circus-like vocal breaks and Cunningham's powerful delivery keep the track rocking at all times - and it is only a short piece at under three minutes in length, so it really gets in and gets out. Those who really like Cunningham at her most prog will certainly find a lot to like in Heavy Pencil - which builds on some of the Jethro Tull vibes experimented with on the last album. Ian East (Gong) adds plenty of flute to the track, which encourages those Jethro Tull comparisons, but the fuzzy riffing and the pulsing Hammond also create similar vibes - whilst wah-drenched guitar lines throw things back to the 1960s. Playful basslines route the verses, which Cunningham sings in a deeper delivery than is often typical for her, whilst ethereal harmonies add depth. The bass dominates during the verses, then, but there are occasional wah-guitar stabs and Hammond swells. The vocal-led passages are less Jethro Tull in character, but as soon as the flute returns later during an instrumental break there are more comparisons to make - and there is a really playful flute-led section where East duals with some guitar leads which resurfaces around some powerful vocal moments. East also adds some brief saxophone moments towards the end, too.

Good to Be Damned has more of a band feel as it features all four of the album's main players contributing in a big way - with Wilson co-writing the song and playing the main snaking guitar lines. Cunningham drives everything with her pulsing bass playing, whilst Woodcock alternates between his Hammond and piano. The track feels at first as if it is going to be a slow-burning and slightly doomy track with Wilson's big guitar melodies leading the way - but the chorus is much bouncier, and returns to some of the vaudeville sounds which Cunningham often enjoys. The contrast between the crawl of the verses, with their shimmering organ depth, and the chorus is striking - but the chorus is one which is easy to latch onto and sing along with after a few listens. Cunningham often likes to veer in different directions with her songwriting - and the boogie piano from Woodcock really brings the chorus to life. Cunningham takes the guitar back from Wilson for the solo, though, which is similarly playful atop a spiky groove. In the Shade of the Shadows slows the pace down and somewhat returns to the jazzy feel of the album's opening title track - but the vibe is a bit grimier overall and it lacks the smoothness and film score vibe of that previous effort. There is more of a blues edge thanks some slide guitar moments from Wilson and some more saxophone parps from East. Leftfield piano countermelodies, too, from Woodcock keep the song from sticking to the typical path - and it is one of those songs that just continues to surprise despite it essentially having a pretty typical verse-chorus arrangement. It helps that the simple chorus, with its jazzy saxophone melodies and Cunningham's sultry vocal delivery, is so memorable - and it is one of those moments on the album which lodges itself in the brain pretty easily. The busy piano playing and the bluesy edge certainly brings to mind groups like The Allman Brothers Band at times, which is something a bit different for Cunningham, but her usual touchstones are also referenced - and it is an album highlight for me. The brief instrumental piece The Smut Peddler then provides a bit of groove, with a hypnotic guitar melody and distant drum groove providing an early grounding - before a big guitar riff takes over, with lashings of Hammond and the odd busier guitar melody providing a bridge between the two tracks either side of it. It does not segue into Denim Eyes, though, with the instrumental coming to a sudden stop before the slower vibes of the next song get underway with Pink Floyd-esque acoustic guitars and whimsical piano melodies providing a strong backing for Cunningham's vocals. Following a couple of more harder rocking pieces, this is certainly a more reflective track - and there is more of a pop feel overall. There are lots of interesting vocal arrangements here, with plenty of big harmonies, whilst there is a strong acoustic guitar presence throughout to add depth as the piano and occasional electric guitar melodies swirl around. The chorus is a bit bigger, with a strong organ presence, and some real earworm melodies - and it is nice to hear a more paired back sound here, along with a strong closing guitar solo.

Following on from the more laid back previous song, then, it is fitting that things get a little heavier again with the spiky Spook Racket. The early portions of the song again have Pink Floyd vibes, actually, but this time more akin to the chaotic moments of The Wall - but when the band kick in proper the track turns into a lumbering, Hammond-led rocker with some bluesy riffing from Wilson. This is another of the tracks which he co-wrote and he handles all of the guitars this time - with Cunningham busying herself with some potent bass playing and all of the track's enveloping Hammond. Due to the heavier sound and the grind of the organ, plus the strong guitar presence, this is a track which could certainly have sat nicely on a Purson album. The arrangement is a bit more straight forward, then, at least during the track's bulk, with it generally being more of a rocker than anything else - although there is a spacy breakdown later on which includes some delicate piano playing and the bass leading the way. This later morphs into a folky closing section with acoustic guitars. Stepped Out of Time slows things down a little again, and the track is essentially a piano-led, slightly waltzing piece that returns to some of the jazzy vibes heard elsewhere on the album - whilst also showcasing some strong pop sensibilities. Cunningham's vocals always cut through the mix, even on the more complex songs, but this track feels like one which has really been written to showcase her excellent turn of phrase and melody construction. There is less to focus on musically, then, but given the strength of the vocal performance this is not an issue - and it nice to focus on Cunningham as a bona fide singer given that sometimes her songwriting distracts from the vocal delivery due to the complexity of the arrangements. Woodcock should also get a lot of credit for his piano playing throughout the song. He creates the groove of the track perfectly which allows Cunningham to soar and his keyboard playing throughout the album where he appears really helps to elevate things. The album then comes to a close with The Premiere, a similarly grand track to the opening title track - but there is no jazz backdrop this time, with the song instead feeling more typical of Cunningham's usual approach. Arrangement-wise, then, the song is pretty busy. Acoustic and electric guitar passages alternate throughout, whilst Cunningham's vocal delivery takes on a brasher tone occasionally - whilst the are some effects used on her voice during some spikier, faster sections which again recall Purson somewhat. Some of the guitar riffs here are pretty potent, too, and the drumming from Mura is varied - creating a cinematic backing during some sections before settling into a hard rock groove elsewhere. The use of Mellotron throughout parts of the track certainly gives the song an appropriately late 1960s/early 1970s sound, too, and it adds that theatrical backing that was so prevalent during the heyday of the prog scene. It is fitting that the two biggest songs bookend the album - and the busy track brings things to a strong close. Having spent nearly a couple of months with To Shoot Another Day now, it is clearly another strong release from Cunningham. Whilst Two Piece Puzzle likely has some better standout tracks, this latest album feels like a more complete work overall - and it is her strongest from start to finish, despite it also being the most varied.

The album was released on 1st November 2024 via Esoteric Antenna/Cherry Red Records. Below is Cunningham's promotional video for In the Shade of the Shadows.