Ashley Monroe - Rosegold

3.7

Rating

3.7/5

Flyctory.com Pros

Lovely vocal performance
Very nice, intimate lyrics

Flyctory.com Cons

Melodically a bit of too uniform

Two Grammy nominations and part of some Number One albums – Ashley Monroe is undoubtedly one of the big names in the female country music business in Nashville. Nonetheless, most of her biggest successes were part of collaborations. On 30th April 2021, she is releasing her latest solo album Rosegold.

Ashley Monroe – About The Artist

Ashley Lauren Monroe is a US-American country singer-songwriter, who was born on 10th September 1986. She grew up in Knowville, Tennessee. Since the age of 19, she is working as a professional artist. She is likely most well-known as being part of the Pistol Annies, which is a female country music trio with Miranda Lambert, Angaleena Presley and herself. With the trio, she had two number one albums and has been nominated for Interstate Gospel for the 2020 Grammy Awards. This was her second Grammy Award nomation, after receiving her first one for her single Lonely Tonight with Blake Shelton for the Best Country Duo / Group Performance.

Monroe’s debut on the album side was – after a promotional CD Satisfied in 2006, which later was released in 2009 – Like A Rose in 2013. The album went into the US Country Top 10. Her best ranked album so far was The Blade (2015), which made it up to the second spot in the charts. The 2018 Sparrow just made it to the 21st place in that ranking.

Ashley Monroe – Rosegold – Track by Track

The ten track album lasts 31 minutes. It is not too much of a country album, but rather a dream pop / melodic pop one.

1. Siren

There’s nowhere else that you would rather be
I’m what you want
I’m what you know you need
We’ve the kind that just goes on and on
and on and on and on

Maybe it is because I did not follow Ashley Monroe too much outside her country career – but the first song Siren is already not at all what I expected. Dream pop with strong and present rhythm, on top of which Ashley’s slow, dream-ish vocals are arranged. Surprising to me, but a nice listen.

2. Silk

Ashley Monroe stated that she was sitting in the sun at her backyard, her son was sleeping and she just enjoyed the feeling, the warmth. Silk is doing really good in transporting that feeling, the gentleness and cozy atmosphere as well as the warmth. Again, her beautiful singing is the central element of the song. Beautiful.

3. Gold

Something to behold
I can’t afford to let you go
Oooooo
You are good as gold

The song is somewhat like the hidden title track of the album. It spreads a lot of harmony, but also comes with a touch of an R’n’B track.

4. See

I see a million stars undercover
The fortunate fire
The soul of a lover
The good and the bad
I’ll take it all baby I wanna save you
Cause I know that you saved me forever

The song is about loving and being loved, about adoring and being adored. I feel that the track just shows so much metal stability, so much luck and happiness.

5. Drive

After all the dream-ish tracks, the single Drive almost feels to push forward. In fact, it is still not up-tempo and does feel to fit into Rosegold perfectly, but still is a comparably striking and present track.

6. Flying

Monroe states that she had that memory in mind when she was at 7:00 hrs in the morning in her closet. She took out her voice recorded, recorded her thoughts and later shared it which her co-writers. Best advertisement ever for a furniture company, I guess. The song is beautiful.

7. Groove

Until the chorus, the song just comes with Ashley Monroe’s voice and some scattered bass tunes. It feels like a multiple voice female soul group. Amazing vocal performance, the instruments just do what is absolutely necessary to make this turn into an amazing song.

8. Til It Breaks

If you look for a country pop touch, Til It Breaks is likely about as close as Rosegold allows you to get to it. The Nashville spirit is rather minor still, though. The song comes with a nice groove.

9. I Mean It

When I tell you I can’t live without you baby
I’m not talking crazy
I mean it
Your breath’s the only breath I’m breathing
You’re the only reason
I mean it

This song is about the moments in which you want to express love to your heart even if things don’t work out perfectly for you.

10. The New Me

The guitars in The New Me spread a very handmade kind of music. A very religious and spiritual track closes Rosegold.

Ashley Monroe – Rosegold – Spotify

Here is Rosegold on Spotify:

Ashley Monroe – Rosegold – My View

Rosegold is a beautiful and gentle piece of music, without a doubt. Especially on the melodic side, there are however too few surprising elements like The New Me at the end of the album. Her vocal performance, though, as well as the lyrics are definitely a beauty. Thus, if you don’t mind that there is hardly any country touch in it, you might really enjoy the album.