On the stand out track from her 2020 album, We Still Go to Rodeos, Whitney Rose sang the defiant rebuke ‘I’m not broken by the things you did to me / But thanks for trying’. After enduring recent struggles including the pandemic hitting when her last album was released, followed by health scares that landed her in hospital, that mantra resonates stronger than ever. Unexpected forces may have tried to derail her career but that fragility has fed into her new album Rosie, making her a more vital voice than ever.
All of the songs on this album were solo written by Whitney except for one cover song, proof of her singular talent and something which sets her apart – even from many of her contemporary Americana artists who still rely on collaboration. Production is looser, more laid back, with the familiar nickname Rosie suggesting she’s encouraging a more relaxed vibe for the album overall.
From the opening waltz of Tell Me a Story, Babe this album is pure country gold, leaving behind the more power pop and rockier influences of We Still Go to Rodeos. Nostalgia rings through in the cover of Joanne Mackell’s Can’t Remember Happiness where she sings about being a kid in the backseat of a car experiencing the pure unfiltered joy of listening to music on the radio.
The lead single of the record My Own Jail is a stunning extended metaphor about the way we construct our own misery, whether that be a relationship, a mindset, a way of living etc. It’s such a brilliant idea for a song, sung with empathy that suggests she’s been there and knows the struggle.
The vintage sounding songs Memphis in My Mind and You’re Gonna Get Lonely work perfectly because they sound familiar and yet her voice and the songwriting makes them fresh and fun to listen to. She has the talent to transform a country music cliche into something original and different like on the beautiful Minding My Own Pain.
The 90s country revival remains a strong trend and Honky Tonk in Mexico takes us there nicely. Who wouldn’t want to escape the drudgery of your real life to go on holiday with Whitney, even just for a day?
The two best titles on this record are saved for the end with Barb Wire Blossom and Mermaid in a Pantsuit sounding like winners before you even hit play. The former has more of a similarity with the power pop sound of her previous record, while the latter is a little strange ditty about being a fish out of water.
Always intriguing and inventive while remaining true to her traditional country roots, Rosie cements Whitney Rose’s place as one of the most interesting songwriters in the genre.
Highway Queens 
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