"The Stand In"
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If there was any complaint to be had about Own Side Now, it was that the record never felt quite a big as Rose’s personality – a disparity evident to anyone who saw her live and one that’s quickly remedied here. The Stand In also marks a rapid ascent for Rose’s skill as a songwriter. While it manifests in a way that’s less playful than on her debut, it’s replaced by a gravitas that befits a sophomore record. The quality of tracks like ‘Only A Clown’ and ‘No-One to Call’ resonates with a sense of timelessness.
A similar familiarity is shot through the whole record: the obvious reference points (Fleetwood Mac, Linda Rondstadt, Patsy Cline, Dusty Springfield) remain but there’s never a sense of looking back with rose-tinted glasses. Last year’s Arctic Monkeys cover showed she’s not someone musically cloistered – there is more than a hint of savvyness to her and arguably the record’s greatest success is the revelation of Rose as one of America’s most gifted young songwriters.
The Stand In certainly stakes a claim for the best guitar-driven record you’re likely to hear this year too. Surrounding herself with a strong set of musicians (guitarist Jeremy Fetzer should be signalled out in particular), some of whom are longtime associates, has paid off with a cohesiveness that does more than just support Rose’s soaring vocal. They’re a band and the record is theirs as much as hers.
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