Album Review
If you want to hear an artist show a unique and interesting grasp of reality just hit track six on Stacie Rose's This Is Mine album. She asks questions in "Put You On" — if you believe in the color of infinity — do you believe love alone can conquer anything? Do you believe love alone can conquer any man? The put-on is that the singer wants to put this fellow on like clothing. Stacie Rose has a way of communicating that is rare, her innovative understanding of words and their meanings are coupled with the powerful sound-veteran producer Robert L. Smith; what each of them brings to this project makes for something very special. Rose is profound without hitting you over the head with her cleverness, it comes up behind you while the music surrounds her expressive singing, complementing perfectly in the simple plea that is "Your Girl." The 11 selections begin with "Checkin Out," an introspective leaving-it-all-behind epic about "torching the blue prints" to her original life plan, heading out to sea to become the first female pirate with the first female parrot "who won't talk back to me." It's a pretty incredible and empowering realization that you don't have to stay within the confines of any one scene. She says "we all fall from grace" in "The Angel Song," and that you have to let the angels in. The band then slams in to punctuate Rose's prescription to save your life, "there's a demon in your heart, I'm gonna let the angels in." Potent stuff. She opened for the legendary Andy Pratt early 2003, in New York City, and simultaneously found the song "Mine," which could be considered the title track, featured during the month of March in a :60 spot on AMC (American Movie Classics) promoting the network's 8 :00 movie. That channel airs in approximately 84-million homes — tremendous exposure for a deserving song and artist. "Shine" is another one-word title, the singer stating in her bio that this "is a song about being the best that you are at that moment, and giving all you have on the road to self-actualization." Laurie Anderson would love the sentiment and no doubt the shifting sounds in "Promised Land" as well — "If I were a super woman, saving myself from oblivion" is definitely a thought to ponder. The album has much in common with Jackie DeShannon's superb You Know Me, though this singer from a new generation is probably not even familiar with DeShannon's new work. The two albums have an interesting synergy, women songwriters/vocalists putting things in different lights, utilizing instrumentalists as strong as their lyrics — John Abbey, Rob McKeever, Andrew Hollander, and the producer all add much to the proceedings. There are no cliches here; this is an album full of double entendre and plays on words. This Is Mine could be less possessive and more about exploration, mining thoughts and human emotions from solitude to being with someone you care about. It's a work that demands attention, deserves multiple listens, and has much to offer both musically and philosophically.
