Customer Reviews

Own Side Now

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Her mother Liz has a Song of the Year Grammy to her credit ("You Belong With Me", written with Taylor Swift for Swift's 2009 album FEARLESS), and her father Johnny is a veteran of the Nashville music scene. So one might expect that OWN SIDE NOW, the official feature-length CD debut of 23 year-old Nashville songstress Caitlin Rose, would sound like almost anything from the Taylor Swift/Carrie Underwood school of inoffensive and conservative country radio, especially since Caitlin is only two and a half years older than Swift.

But expectations are meant to be challenged; and so it is with this CD, thanks in part to her parents' having schooled her in the fine art of classic country, 1950s rockabilly, and 1970s West Coast country-rock. Caitlin has a voice that is as young and developing as she is, but she also has a songwriting gift that shows her to be wise beyond her years. With the sole exception of "That's Alright", a countryish cover of a song from Fleetwood Mac's 1987 album MIRAGE, everything on OWN SIDE NOW is either solely written or co-written by Caitlin. She takes more than a few pointers from Patsy Cline on songs like "New York" and "Shanghai Cigarettes", a little bit from Sun Records-era Elvis on "Coming Up" and "Spare Me", and 1950s pop on "For The Rabbits." And on other songs, like the title track and "Sinful Wishing Well", she channels the acoustic-influenced country-rock of her biggest avowed influence Linda Ronstadt (astounding in and of itself, since she is four decades younger than Linda). Caitlin, however, does right by herself by not being slavishly imitative of what she has been influenced by, and just being authentically herself (as Linda herself once said, "You don't have to be original, just authentic").

In truth, Caitlin is very much of the "old school" of doing things, sticking to classic and traditional forms while still being contemporary and thought-provoking, which is something we don't see much anymore in either country or pop. Judging by the high quality of the songs, the production, and Caitlin's voice, this is a great way to start, and things can only get better for her as her career develops in the years to come.

Following hot on the heels of last years excellent Dead Flowers EP where Caitlin Rose a great new prospect from Nashville, Tennessee set out her stall, we now have her full blown debut album "Own side now" to contend with. Rose cites as her influences some impeccable artists not least Linda Ronstadt, Gram Parsons, The Replacements, Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell and Elliott Smith. Echoes of all of these can be found on "Own side now" indeed the title track would have fitted perfectly on Ronstadt's "Hasten down the wind" and indeed the album is as much about Laurel Canyon as it is Nashville in terms of its sources. How ironic then that an album with this pedigree is on "import" in the US, truly the words "sending sand to the desert" spring to mind. As for the music "For the Rabbits" has a bluesy feel where Rose exhorts us to "Fall back into my desperate arms/Fall back into routine disaster/ Because its better than spending all your nights alone". Further highlights include the wistful "Sinful wishing well" where Rose summons up a Patti Page style heartbreaker. "That's alright" is not a cover of the great Elvis Sun recording but a track in the linage of the great Hank Williams and is totally effortless. Throughout the songwriting on the album is top notch and for a 23 year old shows a wisdom beyond her years and a real ability to vary her plays. Thus "Shanghai Cigarettes" is rockier, with wry lyrics, excellent backing vocals from Jordan Caress and inevitably reminds you of Lucinda Williams circa "Car wheels on a gravel road". Finally "Coming up" the brilliant closer on the album is a signal that when Rose can match a classic song with a brilliant lyric she is unstoppable. It is here that the comparisons to country greats like Loretta Lynn truly stack up and the second half of the song has a guitar feel reminiscent to Flying Burrito Brothers and you sense that Gram Parsons would have thoroughly approved.

2010 by any standards a vintage year for female artists. New singers like Laura Marling, Anais Mitchell and Lissie have all released inspirational albums which should be sought out by the discerning Amazon reader. To this list now please add "Own Side Now" by Caitlin Rose. Like the flower that is her surname the songs on this albums vary from wild to cultivated but all have a rich individual quality and sense of intimacy. It will be fascinating to see in future albums how she develops her distinctive music, but for now we have a visible result staring us in the face and its a winner.

My attention was grabbed upon listening to Caitlin Rose on World Cafe Live on WXPN (all you Philly area people take note). I heard several songs played acoustic along with the oddball interview. Within a week or so I listened to Own Side Now and I have to say that I am mightily impressed.

I have to say I am very picky when it comes to country. Johnny Cash. Waylon Jennings. Bonnie Raitt. Lucinda Williams. Doc Watson. That is basically what I am into for the most part. I am always very disappointed with whatever is current in country because whatever it is, it usually really stinks to high heaven. Let me tell you this: Own Side Now is what pop country should be! This stuff is great! The music AND the lyrics. Caitlin Rose has put together a very nice collection of tunes here.

My standout favorites right now include: "Own Side", "New York", the Stevie Nicks cover "That's Alright", "Coming Up" and "Spare Me (Fetzer's Blues)". "Spare Me" includes my favorite lyric from the album right now: "And love is just one more useless thing you don't need but you can't throw away".

The best I can explain this album is that it is smart country-pop. I don't know what that means, but that is what I am calling it. The music (which is most important to me) will satisfy greatly, as well as the lyrical moments. Caitlin's voice is the best I've heard in a while. It grabs me like Madeleine Peyroux's voice did several years back. These days, people are telling me about Adele. I am impressed with her voice, but the songs, well - ehhh - not so memorable. She will likely be forgotten. Caitlin Rose, however has a promising future ahead. Lend Own Side Now your ears.

Heard "For The Rabbits" on a local radio station and bought the album because of that one song. Many good songs on that CD. This girl is a great songwriter. No pretentious "pop" lyrics. Definitely recommend.

This young woman is new, but I think she is going to go a long way. This album is not modern country, which isn't very country. This album is old-school country and very easy on the ears. It's very laxadazical, and her voice is soo pretty. I wish that songs like That's Alright and Shanghai Cigarettes were able to be played on country radio. They are too country for country radio. Anyway, this album is a keeper and I cannot wait to hear from her. If you like country from the 60s and 70s, purchase this and you won't be disappointed.

I love this album, every song was fantastic. I hear a lot of early Linda Ronstadt and Rilo Kiley in her music here. Go to iTunes and download her first EP, Dead Flowers too. It's really great as well, but very different tone wise from this. I hear a lot of Patsy Cline and Skeeter Davis in it, that era of country. As for Own Side Now, my favorites were "That's Alright", "Shanghai Cigarettes", and "Things Change." But every single one of the songs is amazing in its own right. Buy it now!! She is so great!