LUNA TURISTA is Available Now on Free World Records (via Amazon)

Oh Eileen, and where have you been in 2009? Answer: Writing and recording the best God-damned record of her life, that’s where.

Recorded in her adopted home town of Nashville, TN, and in Berlin, it features her band The Holy Wreck - guitar and pedal steel vituoso, the legendary Rich Gilbert (Frank Black & The Catholics, Tanya Donelly, Human Sexual Response), and on drums, Nate “86″ Stalfa (Knock Down Society, Caitlin Cary, Thad Cockrell). THere are also guest appearance from singer and fiddler Joshua Hedley. The album has been mixed by Rob Clark, who works with Neil Young.

Now for me to say that this is the ‘best God-damned record of her life’ means something, and I’ll tell you for why. Rose, hasn’t made a bad record, in fact they have all been wonderful, with COME THE STORM and LONG SHOT NOVEENA shining especially brightly. So for me to say that LUNA TURISTA is her best record to-date really means it’s friggin’ stunning. This is one alt-country ride you just cannot miss! 2009 has been a briliant record release year, but the genre that has been least well represented is this one, and Eileen Rose has come up
trumps.

‘Simple Touch Of The Hand’ opens with a simple acoustic strum and the revealing vocal line: ‘Twenty odd years, man it’s been too long/You seemed a bit sad, but still pretty strong/When I said I was happy and things were coming along/I lied, I lied.” Then the band strikes up and the fun reallys starts! Rose is wearing her heart and career on her sleeve with this melodic Titanic of an opening song, with a vocal performance which seems to have shed all inhibitions; like a dam opening its gates to let the massive torrent of water run free. Her band is amazing and makes no small contribution to this stunner. And that’s just the start! ‘Side Ride Home’ opens with firmly struck, wandering piano notes and that continue to play a starring role in this beauty. There are crashing crescendos, another monster-melody, and another fabulous vocal performance conveying another wonderful set of lyrics (”What’s a girl to do/when the cool design of reason fights with love?/What’s a girl to do
but sadly ride off…”).

‘Trouble From Tomorrow’ takes a firm grip in the country genre with some wonderful instrumental passages from the old country faithfulls. ‘Third Time’s A Charm’ provides an emotional and thoughtful musical interlude that travels at glacial pace. Rose has one of the most expressive voices around and it’s used here to break your heart, with convincing lyrics, a beautifully judged instrumental arrangement and backing vocals to complete a moving and utterly beautiful package. And when you think it just can’t get any better, ‘Silver Ladle’ arrives with heightened emotions, even slower pace and an ambience to melt even the coldest heart. Lyrically, it’s a blinder, vocally it’s one of the finest and most moving performances of 2009 (and frankly just about any other year). It’s also one of the finest examples of production heard this year.

‘Luckenback Texas’ (featuring Joshua Hedley) goes marginally more upbeat and more country. I can imagine this being played at the next Country Music Awards as one of their famed duettes - I kid you not! ‘Strange’ goes way upbeat with a country rocker of rare distinction, and a single that should knock ‘em dead in the US of A. The vocal reminds me of Martha Wainright after having consumed a gallon of Red Bull. The fiddling is magical, the melody is huge, the choruses so hook-laden they could empty the North Sea of its dwindling fish stocks. It’s a monster of a song and perfect in every mutha-froggin’ way. Astounding! Then the trad-country beauty ‘Why I Am Awake’ rolls in - Rose is back home and you can tell with this wonderfully played song (both vocally and instrumentally), which although conventional offers a few clever vocal twists.

This has been a breathtaking musical ride, but it’s not over yet…’The One You Wanted’ is the darkest song here, with its perfectly judged, doom-laden piano that builds the tension and drama magnificently. Rose gives a contemplative and stunning vocal performance to hammer home the darkness and emotion in no uncertain way. There are several standout tracks here, but I think this one is my pick (for now anyway). Finally, ‘All These Pretty Things’ with its deep-bass vibe also travels a darker road with Rose spitting out the vocals one moment, whispering them the next. There’s a powerful rhythm, a crashing instrumental crescendo with guitars and drums let loose on their own, almost in competition with Rose’s passionate vocal that in the closing seconds screams out, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

Well, they same the best things are left for last, and in album release terms this album illustrates to a tee why we leave our ‘Albums Of The Year’ to the latest possible moment (while everybody else races for the finishing line to beat their competitors). Until I heard this record I had sort of decided mentally which was my album of the year. Eileen Rose, you have thrown out the most vicious curve-ball with this record…  It’s an alt-country masterpiece of song writing and performance, with a devestating diversity of pace and mood. It’s impossible to fault, impossible not to love and admire. It’s ESSENTIAL! But even more important - Eileen Rose has cemented her position as one of THE finest alt-country artists, anywhere, anytime.

5/5

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