Rose Elinor Dougall Start/Stop/Synchro

I know of no other woman in the pop music sphere that our Brett is in love with as much as former Pipette Rose Elinor Dougall. On her 2nd solo jaunt, 'Start/Stop/Synchro' she's firmly in the driving seat of a plush, classy motor, all teak lined fittings & polar bear seat covers. This is a sumptuous, elegant single that flutters around the border between bewitching mature pop & ethereal indie. Her voice ain't no trilling dove though, just a strong soaring emotive thing with a bit of brass that recalls late period Siouxsie and there amongst the quietly sweeping strings & harpsichord keys there's a chiming guitar line, insistent bass pulse & clean, driving drums. It's a strident, distinctive number that'll keep the older/wiser/both (?) indie kid in clover till her debut LP. The flip 'Static Saturday' features an eerie synth line & a bontempi beat whilst her vocal is a bit more foggy, wistful & blurred. It's also quite timeless sounding and brings to mind a slightly gothier Young Marble Giants with it's otherworldly DIY feel. A splendid single, on white vinyl, courtesy of Elefant.....

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10/10 Sylvia Past

Rose's first single was good, a nice transition from what she did with The Pipettes, but this is something else again.

Reviews have mentioned Siouxsie Sioux, Stereolab, & Nico all of which you can hear echoes of in this track but nobody has mentioned The Smiths and particularly Morrissey. I can hear that aggressive, proud melancholy that he perfected all through this track and i'm really looking forward to what she does next.One of the singles of the year, already.