Songs and Music: Carolina Rose.
Caroline Rose hypnotizes a Brighton audience, holding the Patterns crowd in the of her hand, palm of her hand as she seamlessly moves from slow evocative numbers to out and out “bangers” leaving the south coast gathering fully satisfied.
Rose splits the night into two halves. The first half producing soothing, slow and ethereal tracks directly spoken from the heart. The mood she creates is fuzzy and warn, occasionally melancholic, but always proving a good listen.
The second half revels in her more popular back catalogue, or as she puts it; “now I’m give you the hits”. And it is in this second half were the set really comes alive. Each song has all the anger, frustration and beauty of youth wrapped up in one. Highlights including “Bikini”, which sounds like a mutant cross between Blur and the B52s, the intensely driving power tune “Money” and the ultimate self empowerment anthem “Feel the way I want”.
The songs in this second half pack a disco-dancing punch. Rose’s songs have ugliness and beauty within them, which all good art does. They blend the line of light and dark to create something that feels true to life. The artist mixes discordant beats and dreamy synthscapes which come straight from the heart, genitals and soul.
Her unrelenting spark is reminiscent of an early PJ Harvey (circa Rid of Me album released in 1993) combined with the sensibility of grunge legends Nirvana. She displays an undeniable vocal talent echoing Cat Power.
In between songs Rose charms the audience with genuinely funny jokes. She has a unique magnetic presence on stage. It is also a delight to see so many people queuing up for the merchandise stand and to have their picture taken with Caroline, who is an undeniable star.
Young people (and people in general) are in need of authentic role models that aren’t just instagram stars but genuinely have something to say, which Rose does in spades. One hopes that this star does not fall prey to any of the common pressures put on women in the music industry, but holds true to herself as an artist and a creator.
The slow dreamy side of Rose is special but where the musician really excels is in the faster songs where she has a fire in her belly. Because this chick doesn’t just have a spark, she’s got a grenade. But most importantly, she’s got soul.
Reviewed on 7th June 2023
The Reviews Hub Score
An Undeniable Star
