rosie & the goldbug: rosie & the goldbug

There is something catchier than an autumn cold about Cornwall-based Rosie Vanier and her trio, Rosie & The Goldbug. On their self-titled debut, the melodies are straightforward – almost sickeningly so – and undeniably catchy, but nothing is remarkable nor does it ever feel as if that is what Vanier and company are attempting. Instead, what this album is, if anything, is the essence of the zeitgeist: songs that drip with synth accoutrements, two-chord guitar strumming and basic, cut-time snare chops.

And, of course, it’s all topped off with sultry, suggestive vocal lines sung by an attractive, almost film noir-influenced vocalist who sounds as good as she looks. Both ‘Lover’ and ‘Heartbreak’ are perfectly cogent pop songs, fulfilling their verse-chorus-verse duties with aplomb, full of energy and enough bright red lipstick to tint a billboard in Shoreditch. It also comes and goes abrasively quickly. The whole slog lasts 30 minutes and each song is short, punchy and similar to its previous cohort.

In a sense, Rosie & The Goldbug have a fiery beast of a pop record on their hands. Indeed, it’s almost impossible to criticise in context, as they accomplish everything the here and now demands of them. But this is the album’s major restriction and, ultimately, its failure. Rosie & The Goldbug is extremely time dependent, and as such utterly soulless. Only months from now this music will be all but irrelevant. There isn’t a detectable hint of originality embedded in these songs; there doesn’t really need to be for it to seep inside and do its work. But originality stands the test of time whereas following the fashion is ephemeral.

Since there’s little to believe in, this album will most likely be forgotten, swept up in a slew of contemporaries plodding the same temporally limited stylistic furrow, even if most are not as effective as this. Right here, right now, this is impressive stuff – maybe a single will find a home for a few weeks on the chart even – but in six months or so everyone will move on. Let’s hope Rosie & The Goldbug follow suit.

[Lover; September 15, 2008]

Written by: Shain Shapiro

Tags: rosie and the goldbug

This entry was posted on Monday, October 20th, 2008 at 6:25 pm and is filed under albums & EPs, reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.