Review | Caitlin Rose - The Stand-In
[N]ashville’s Caitlin Rose is out with her sophomore album today, The Stand-In. It’s a fantastic set of songs that span from whiskey-soaked tracks to tunes inspired by 1950s Hollywood sound stages and jazz numbers. It’s impressive that Rose is only 25 years old. But honestly, this girl could teach almost anyone a thing or two about writing and recording a great country album.
Songwriting runs in Caitlin’s family. Her mother is Liz
Rose, who co-wrote 16 songs with Taylor Swift, one of which earned her and Swift a Grammy. But don’t get ahead of yourself. This is not a Taylor Swift album. In fact, it’s pretty far from it. It’s actually the album that I’d love to see Taylor Swift write and record, but that’s a whole other story.
On The Stand-In, Caitlin Rose wrote a collection of songs that touch on the highs and lows of being in your 20s, but with whiskey-soaked lyrics, jazz influences and lots of woozy pedal steel, every song sounds timeless.
Two of the strongest tracks on the album are actually covers that Rose completely makes her own. The first is I Was Cruel, a cover of Nashville band The Deep Vibration. The original is a much slower track, sung from a male perspective. But Caitlin ramps it up a bit and gives it teeth and a snarl, all while managing to convince you that being with her would be totally worth the risk of her cruelty. “I would have warned you if I’d known, but I never knew I was cruel,” she admits.
Dallas is the second cover, originally a Felice Brothers track about the loneliness of touring. With the abundance of dizzying steel guitar and Caitlin’s beautiful voice, it is simply a standout country ballad.
One of the other highlights is Everywhere I Go, a beating track about trying to outrun your problems. “But no matter where I go, no matter where I go, there I am,” she realizes in the beginning of the track. “I could fall in love a million times between near and far, but no matter where I go, there you are,” she sings as her second realization hits her. It’s a great track that perfectly captures that moment when you realize that you can’t fix your problems until you fix yourself.
Overall, this album has all of the makings of a great country album. Caitlin Rose has the perfect voice that can express both a delicate emotion with spite and venom. Her songs are beautifully written, both unforgiving and true. And her sound, with layers of jazz, pedal steel and many odes to an old Hollywood era combine perfectly. This is one fantastic country album on all accounts.
She’ll be in town on April 2nd at TT the Bear’s. But for now, grab a glass of whiskey and put on this album. For more information on her upcoming tour dates & to buy the album, visit thecaitlinrose.com
