Fussy

Image credit: Martin Bannister

In three words: moving, exquisite, raw

Bring on the whole set: Caroline Rose delivers a heart-aching performance at the Guildhall’s Milton Court in collaboration with composer Lena Simon and the London Contemporary Orchestra.

Despite being simple in its staging, the 90-minute spectacle brims with unadulterated emotion and begets a cinematic quality, with poignant moments and endearing interruptions. The prestigious concert hall is at charming odds with the casual nature of the alternative New York artist, as it plays host to a performance so unpolished in Rose’s willingness to expose issues both technical and personal, that they even halt the final song for thirty seconds while lyrics are remembered.

‘In moments like this’, they say while the guitar audio is fixed, ‘I like to think “[this is] not AI”’. Rose’s characteristic banter contrasts with the composure of Simon, whose dazzling arrangements reverberate in the venue built for state-of-the-art acoustics. It is a pleasure to watch Simon’s genius as she simultaneously sings backup vocals, plays piano with one hand, and conducts the eight-piece orchestra with the other.

Determination radiates from Rose as they soldier on with singing songs mostly from their latest album The Art of Forgetting, which tells deeply personal stories of heartbreak and the despondency that comes with it.

The best vocals are sung on ‘I Took A Ride’, accompanied by swimmy clarinet: ‘Some men might think that a woman / Is weak because she cries / Nothing is stronger / Than a lover’s lonely tear’. These lyrics resonate, accompanied by the wiping away of the singer’s tears: art mirrors reality.

Suddenly, there’s a shift in mood. Crying somersaults into confidence as Rose tells the audience that they’ll be ‘ripped another butthole’ when they hear the next song. We know what this means: we will be so shaken up by the emotional release of listening to their music that we physically will never be the same again.

They’re proved right when they receive an unequivocal standing ovation, after which astonished punters spill out onto Silk Street, murmuring in admiration.

To keep up to date with forthcoming performances, please check out Caroline Rose’s website, or follow them on instagram.

This article was originally published by LONDNR as part of The LOWDOWN newsletter. Sign up at londnr.substack.com/