Haroula Rose
Country of origin:
U.S.
Type of music generally:
Indie folk
Status:
Most recent release, Here the Blue River (2016)
See also:
Haroula Rose's Bandcamp page
Comparisons:
Her press says early Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Alison Krauss; I also hear a little Mindy Smith, with a touch of Mary Lou Lord. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)
Covers/own material:
Own
General comments:
Haroula Rose has a folky, sweet voice that has a lovely purity, and sings stripped-down intimate-feeling indie country/folk ballads. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)
Recommended first album:
Someday EP (2009) is all we've heard
Recordings:
- Someday EP (2009)
- These Open Roads (2011)
- So Easy (EP, 2012)
- Book of Love (single, 2015)
- Swimming Song (single, 2015)
- Here the Blue River (2016)
Someday EP
Release info:
2009—self-released
Availability:
See Haroula Rose's site
Ecto priority:
Recommended for fans of indie folk
Group members:
Haroula Rose—vocals, guitars, percussion
Guest artists:
Michael Starr—guitar, mandolin, bass, violin, percussion
Fil Krohnengold—piano
Phil Parlepiano—accordion
Brian Wright—banjo
Danny Frankel—percussion
David Kemper—percussion
Produced by:
Michael Starr and Haroula Rose
Comments:
This five-song ep is an intriguing debut. Haroula Rose's songwriting has a charming straightforward clarity, and so does her vocal delivery. It draws listeners in, rather than pushing the songs at them. This is refreshing. The first two songs, "Someday" and "Love Will Follow" are my favourites here: I like their gentle, folky evocativeness. "If I Could Pray" is also a fine track. "The Leaving Song" sounds a little too standard country-favoured folk for my tastes, while "Lay Me Down" has the same country tinge but is beguiling.
I also have to mention how nice it is to see an independent release with such nice artwork—its understated appeal matches the music inside. (sophiagurley@hotmail.com)
Thanks to Sophia Gurley for work on this entry.
