Hollie Rogers is making waves. Her resonant voice has been praised by artists ranging from Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason to Suzanne Vega while Squeeze’s Chris Difford has called her a “fantastic and special singer-songwriter.”.
Listening to this album, which apparently took 5 years to make, it’s not hard to hear why she has made such an impact. She refers to the album as her ‘baby’ commenting “I’m not having a human one. I’m proud to have nurtured this one instead; it’s got a great personality and there’s absolutely no poop.”
No poop but plenty of attitude while never losing sight of the commercial intent. With full-blooded vocals she sings of love, loneliness, lust and coming to terms with ageing. She says her influences include Joan Armatrading and Joni Mitchell but also admits to being an admirer of the Spice Girls. I’d hazard a guess that she’s taken a few vocal tips from Cher along the way too.
Rogers is from Penzance in Cornwall and self-manages all the key aspects of her career. The album was crowdfunded by her fan-base during a pandemic and produced at Masterlink Studios, Surrey.
US guitarist Robben Ford and sensitive UK singer-songwriter Jamie Lawson make guest appearances on the cloying Love and Distance. This track sums up the overridingly mellow mood of this pop album that has the potential to be much more. It would be so much better if she took a broader and bolder perspective on womanhood beyond what it feels like to be in and out of love.
|
The sassy spirit of the title track and the meaty slide guitar of Strange too quickly subside into glossier songs that are altogether more predictable and too restrained. So, instead of rocking the boat, she is content to take a gentle excursion along The Coast Road (“baby, I’ve been waiting for you.”)
Rogers settles for a more passive point of view instead of foregrounding a feistier perspective of a woman who’s evidently experienced her fair share of shit but is determined to rise up and not to be fooled again.
Hollie Rogers’ website
|
