Zoë Strickland | Editor-in-Chief

Social commentary should be hidden by danceable beats. At least that’s what Caroline Rose’s newest album “LONER” leads me to believe. The artist’s sophomore album is a far cry from the tracks she released four years ago, they’re brutally honest while being masked by a pleasant exterior.

“LONER” is harder than the moseying vibes put forth by Rose’s first album, “I Will Not Be Afraid.” If her first album was reminiscent of an upbeat version of The Wild Reeds, her second is a hazy Sleater-Kinney or Bikini Kill.

The first track on the album, “More of the Same Thing,” sets the tone of “LONER” to be dreamy and danceable. As the album progresses, the lighthearted nature of the first track shifts in a myriad of different directions. Somehow, Rose has created an album that, despite multitudes of different sounds, is blissfully cohesive.

“Money” is one of my personal favorite songs on the album. Rose’s lyrics are energetic and full of frenzy; the song is backed by loud synths that threaten to take over the track, but are no match for Rose’s commanding voice.

The energetic interlude comes to a pause with “Jeannie Becomes a Mom,” which brings the album back to its dreamy base. The song cyclically repeats the phrase, “now you’re in real life,” creating a whirlwind of surreal dissolution.

Throughout the album, the lyrics present an encompassing picture of Rose’s commentary on the society. Towards the end of the album, a 49-second song introduction titled “Smile! AKA Schizodrift Jam 1 AKA Bikini Intro” is a near-minute of repeated male voices urging the listener to smile. What follows in the track “Bikini” is a song of veiled misogynistic comments centering around the idea that success is related to dressing and acting the way people tell you to.

“LONER” is a catchy, intense album that’s more than what it appears to be upon first listen. The album hits the airwaves on Feb. 23.

Contact the author at journaleditor@wou.edu

Photo by: Carolinerosemusic.com