Album Review: Sarah Jane Scouten – When the Bloom Falls From the Rose

A rose only blooms for a short time, soon they wilt and leave behind nothing but thorns – such is the reality of life sometimes. Sarah Jane Scouten’s new album When The Bloom Falls From the Rose explores the consequences of heartbreak using the sounds of traditional country and folk.

The opening of this album Acre of Shells uses metaphor to explore the difficulty of finding what you really want in the world – in an acre of shells there’s only one pearl. Here this is about a relationship but it could be about searching for anything good really. The repeated phrase is ‘how could I ever love somebody else when I know that you’re in the world’ is kind of sad but this album never wallows in misery. The style of music feels like the right kind of country traditionalism – one that allows her voice to shine.

Bang Bang is fun and funny too. There’s so much energy here and you just want to hear this live so you can dance along. I’m not sure I know what these lyrics are about but I don’t even care because it’s such a enjoyable song. Paul also has that kind of honky tonk rockabilly sound which makes you want to boot scoot (or maybe that’s just me?).

She calls ‘Every Song I Sing’ another silly love song, but it’s serious really. Yes, she might have written a lot of songs about this love but isn’t that what songs are for? Poland takes a turn from the classic country into more standard folk sound but the theme is the same – uncertainty about her beloved. Man In Love explores this further, and is one of the best songs on the album.

The title track is the story of how to deal with broken illusions – sometimes you just have to embrace them. When she sings I love to wreck my health she sounds joyful and the music mimics her feelings. It’s a blast to listen to.

Britannia Mine and Where the Ghost River Flows are folk covers and sung beautifully, with a lovely lilting musical accompaniment. The vintage style of Coupe De Ville Rag and Rosehips for Scurvy add another dimension to her sound. This diverse mix of styles really adds to the album – it never feels repetitive or derivative.

So I highly recommend you crack open this album, let the light in and enjoy When The Bloom Falls from the Rose by the very talented Sarah Jane Scouten.