Moving On

Rosie Doonan

Rosie Doonan is a real talent, from a talented family and background. She's put her time in writing, recording and gigging (notably in the all too short lived duo with Ben Murray), and now she's embarked on a solo career. Had she been in the grip of a major record label she would have been re-imaged and re-invented, luckily for us she isn't, her feet are firmly on the floor, no Joss Stone style lunacy here.

Rosie says of her childhood, “I guess you could say it wasn’t your average childhood. We would go to every festival going. All the kids would hang around together and then we’d go and see our parents play in bands. It gave me a good grounding in what being a musician is all about.”

The aptly titled Moving On has Need You Around as an opener, a composition from the Rosie and Ben Mill Lane album. This arrangement dusts it down, pumps it up and gives it some glitz with impressive results. The album goes from strength to strength from here, she has neatly sidestepped the singer songwriter trap of shoegazing introspection and produced a record of many facets and surprising range.

That Boy has a confident jazzy swing to it that showcases her voice magnificently, this is a Rosie Doonan that we haven't heard before, more range, more soul, more sass. Moving On would melt the hardest heart with Rosie's wholesome voice and upbeat guitar and mando backing. I could go on describing each song, but that would spoil the joy of discovery. Some of the songs almost try a bit too hard to be bigger and better than the last one, but that's a minor niggle at what is a fine solo opening statement from Rosie. Moving On will surely put her on the map, I knew she was good, but not this good. Look out KT Tunstall...

Iain Hazlewood