TWO PIECE PUZZLE

Rosalie is back!

Her first solo album was excellent, but here on her second, I feel she has outdone her previous masterpiece, [b]Purson[/b] [i]Desire's Magic Theatre[/i]. While her self-titled solo debut is beautiful and superbly crafted, on this one she has re-energized her progressive leanings with a vengeance.

Her wit and whimsy are still on full display here, and I would say even more so than on DMT. I am tempted to mention my favorites from her lyrics, but I think each listener should experience the joy of hearing her words by listening to the album themselves.

Every track is exquisite prog, and Rosalie manages to create perfection in every style she weaves into her compositions, be it symphonic, jazz, honky-tonk, and even a Beatles-like raga. Speaking of which, [i]Tristitia Amnesia[/i] absolutely blows me away, starting with the above-mentioned raga, and seamlessly escalating into an amazing psychedelic rock finale.

I've mentioned this about her previous albums, but I find that Rosalie is one of the few artists whose albums consistently make me feel like I did a half century ago, when I would come home with a pile of records and find some that would send my mind soaring to new places. In simple terms, her music makes me feel young again.

Theatrical Prog Cabaret of the bluesy-sultry raven form.

1. "Start with the Corners" (2:45) (8.25/10) 2. "Donovan Ellington" (5:39) sunny, silly story. (8.5/10) 3. "Donny, Pt. Two" (3:39) (8.5/10) 4. "The War" (0:54) I gotta admit, she's entertaining! (4.5/5) 5. "Duet" (7:25) Rosalie's vamp version of "Monkberry Delight"? Definintely some "look at me" story-telling. (13.25/15) 6. "Tristitia Amnesia" (7:08) very unusual theatric song. (12/15) 7. "Scared of the Dark" (3:35) Rosalie's QUEEN "Killer Queen" tribute (8/10) 8. "God Is a Verb" (1:34) the music is just a vehicle for Rosalie's clever lyrics. (4.25/5) 9. "Suck Push Bang Blow" (5:09) This is the Rosalie I remember: raunchie blues-rock á la Alannah Miles "Black Velvet." (8/10) 10. "The Liner Notes" (6:34) Rosalie's rip off of VAN MORRISON's "Moondance." (/10) 11. Number 149 (4:09) * 12. Fossil Song (4:43) *

Total Time 53:14

* bonus tracks (not on LP)

I admit that the songs are cleverly constructed, the theatric vocal performances riveting and cleverly written, I just don't like blues-rock! And I don't like such blatant rip offs of other people's hits.

B-/3.5 stars; rated down for not really feeling like prog and too much "borrowing".

Facing the music of the multi-instrumentalist Rosalie Cunningham implies - if what you are looking for is simply to enjoy music - adopting a position away from that small tendency of some people to reject any type of proposal that does not 'innovate' or that does not have some surprise factor that can differentiate it from ordinary music. Mainly because Rosalie Cunningham accumulates a lot of influences that mostly come from the 60's and 70's of which I would like to highlight the following: acid guitars that seem to be a combination of the hardest moments of Jethro Tull's Benefit with the first Black Sabbath albums; the Psychedelia of groups like The Beatles or Cream; and small flirtations with the forms of classic Prog, all wrapped in a gothic aura and cabaret music. Adding to all this the fact that the songs are usually quite accessible and without any pretentiousness.

I can only recommend listening to this knowing that, like other nostalgic for bygone times - like Mikael Åkerfeldt - who seem to enjoy making the music they always wanted to hear, we can only judge music by its quality and ability to move us, although its sound seems very familiar to us and we have heard it a lot of times and through more well-known or iconic bands.