Review: Whitney Rose Goes Independent and Adventurous on 'We Still Go to Rodeos'

Canadian roots singer-songwriter made her name with a subtle croon that reminded many of '60s artists like Lesley Gore (whose “You Don't Own Me” she covered). But since moving to the roots music mecca that is Austin, Texas, Rose has been more experimental in her music, and in her career. Her new album, We Still Go to Rodeos, retains much of the classic country styling that initially built her fanbase, while expanding her reach into more rock-oriented fare.

The biggest change many will notice on We Still Go to Rodeos is a new producer. While, with the exception of a self-produced EP, Rose's two previous albums were produced by Mavericks frontman Raul Malo, this time she brought in Paul Kolderie, whose resume includes Uncle Tupelo, Toots & the Maytalls, and the decidedly un-roots groups Radiohead, Hole, and Morphine. While the Latin undertones Malo brought to her previous projects are missed, Kolderie's production work fits Rose well.

The album's best song is also its first one. “Just Circumstance” is a mid-tempo country rocker about a girl who, despite making a series of bad choices in life, is the album's most sympathetic figure. She begins the song taking the rap for a boyfriend who left her pregnant and prison-bound with no support. But, as Rose notes later in the song, prison “was not much worse than what she had at home.” The difficult decision to give her baby up for adoption is delivered in a straightforward way that dwells no more on it than the girl does (“she didn't hold her when she had a chance, just straight into the happy couple's hands.”) The song also shows just how much her life in the South has influenced Rose, with the chorus (which begins with the “can't believe no one's written it before” line “no pomp, just circumstance) ending with “they all say 'bless her heart, she never had a chance.” Maybe Canada uses “bless her heart” with the same mixture of pity and scorn that any Southern lady does, but it doesn't seem likely.

The most electric (literally, beginning with a wailing guitar lick) is the driving “I'd Rather Be Alone.” This is the new Whitney Rose in full bloom. If “You Don't Own Me” were written in a different time, or by an angrier songwriter, it might be “I'd Rather Be Alone.” Detailing the slow decline of a relationship, Rose wails “These days are killing me slowly. I'd rather be alone than lonely.” It's the biggest vocal stretch of her career and she nails it.

An example of Rose's improvement as a songwriter (she penned all of the album's 12 songs alone, a first for her), is the album's title track. The tale of a couple who celebrate their simple blue-collar pleasures of county fairs, midways, and rodeos could easily be a stock standard “lowest common denominator” country radio nostalgia hit for someone like Jason Aldean. But the reason Rose can pull it off is that she never works in caricature, resisting the temptation to exaggerate or romanticize, choosing instead to subtly rely on her voice and understated lyrics to paint a much fuller portrait.

Guests on We Still Go to Rodeos are plentiful and heavier on talent than name recognition. Guitarists Gurf Morlix (Warren Zevon) and Rich Brotherton (Robert Earl Keen), drummer Lisa Pankratz (Billy Joe Shaver, Hayes Carll), and bassist Brad Fordham (Jerry Jeff Walker) all bring experience and ability, but no ego to cloud Rose's crystal clear vision.

We Still Go to Rodeos is a subtle but significant transformation for Whitney Rose, an artist who was already among the brightest young artists in Americana. Becoming truly independent, owning her own work, playing with new sounds, and taking complete control of her own songwriting fits her well. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.