New Caitlin Rose EP - Good Stuff!

Caitlin Rose has a lot going for her. She’s only 20 years old with a killer country voice. As if by instinct, she puts just the right amount of twang in just the right places. Add to that an engaging attitude and a familiar way with words and she’s really onto something.

While her new EP, Dead Flowers, is an ejoyable listen in its own right, its real charm lies in the promise that it holds for the future. In seven diverse songs—five original compositions and two covers—Caitlin Rose displays all the necessary elements of a country artist that matters (voice, attitude, writing), which is a pretty rare find these days.

Here’s a song-by-song mini-review.

1. Shotgun Wedding (mp3): This slightly rushed song about a “forced” wedding might be the best evidence of Rose’s songwriting promise. The tale of two who “meet, conceive, and marry” really captures the feeling of the event, from the sacrifices (“There’s no time to fool around because you have no choices now”), to the setting (“Flowers in the backyard with the family gathered ‘round”), to the pressure (“It’s the right thing boy, put that ring around her finger, and don’t you stop to worry that the feeling won’t linger”), to the lost opportunities (“Light yourself a cigarette while writing invitations, she knows this matrimony won’t meet childhood expectations”), and finally to the inevitable conclusion (“The world won’t end when you throw in the towel”). All in all, a well-described slice of life.

2. Answer In One Of These Bottles: While it is a bit odd to hear a 20-year girl sing about drinking her problems away, this catchy tune shows that Caitlin knows how to write and sing in the authentic honky-tonk style. She’s got a bit of Merle in her.

3. Three Cigarettes In An Ashtray (Patsy Cline Cover): This track, which is pretty faithful to Patsy Cline’s original, is a nice showcase for Rose’s solid-gold country vocals.

4. Docket: I’m not exactly sure what the “docket” is, but it doesn’t matter, because this tune is all about attitude, which it has in spades.

5. Gorilla Man: This is the first of two tambourine and vocals only breakup songs. It’s quite spunky and fun.

6. Dead Flowers (mp3): You all know how I feel about this one.

7. T-Shrit (mp3): Here’s another one suggesting Rose has what it takes to be a great songwriter. With just her voice and a tambourine she completely nails the complex emotions involved in a breakup. “Baby, I’ll go now, ‘cos I thinking I’m starting to know how, I got my feelings hurt, but you got my T-shirt. For her sake let’s keep that on the low down.”

You can buy Caitlin's new EP for a nice price. (Be forewarned that the "Caitlin Rose" who sings "country" on i-tunes is somebody else.)

Let me know what you think! And read the great Caitlin Rose interview in the post immediately below...