“August”
Posted on | September 1, 2004 |
“August”
By Rose Polenzani
Release Date: October 6, 2004
In August of 2003, Rose Polenzani was in the middle of recording her second studio album. Returning home from a recording session one night, she felt as though she needed to get something off her chest—the way she used to feel when she recorded at home with her tiny bells and whistles and four-track machines. So she holed herself up in her room to begin recording an especially personal crop of songs—songs that wouldn’t get played on radio, or songs she was afraid to play in public. For one month, she left every party early, and she slept very little. When she was done, she had an e.p.-length project she called ‘August.’ She made a few copies of it at home and gave it to a few friends and supporters in the business. One of these was a radio DJ, who played one of the recordings straightaway. Rose heard it on the radio, and vowed to finish the project the following August. So, in August of 2004, she holed up again, but this time she brought an armful of friends with her—people with whom she’d shared much more than just her music. And this is how she finished this record.
‘August’ is as misfit a collection of songs as you’re likely to hear this year. Both intensely provocative and personal, at times, it evokes early Liz Phair or Edie Brickell. It would be the hidden track of her discography if the response hadn’t been so positive. As it stands, ‘August’ is Rose’s fourth solo record (release date: 10/6/2004) and second private release.
Track list:
- blue angel
- how shall i love thee
- girl
- rolling suitcase
- and these hands
- the first time
- you used to ease my mind
- explain it to me
- easter hymn (by josh cole)
- married man
- hardest hurt
- sometimes
March 2006, CD Review in Nylon Magazine
Reviewed by Luke Crisell
“Sometimes the very best records pass you by. And often, they pass major labels by, too. Despite having released three albums on indie imprint Daemon, Rose Polenzani chose to release her best album to date, August, all on her own at the end of 2004, and it remains unsigned, which is, quite frankly, a travesty. A lilting, charming treasure of a record, August entirely validates the comparisons that have been made between Polenzani and Nick Drake- every utterance and pluck of her guitar string is heavy with such uninhibited emotion that at times the fragile song structures hardly seem able to support their weight. Recorded entirely in her bedroom and living room, August is suffused with an organic innocence- an acoustic sparseness that accentuates the poetry of Polenzani’s lyrics. Although she looks set to receive more notice as the “freak folk” movement continues to garner attention, Polenzani has the maturity and gift to remain important long after this particular craze has lost its luster. Track yourself down a copy of August now.”
Comments
Leave a Reply
Post Categories
Rose's Photos
