Rose
Kemp
A Hand Full of Hurricanes
****
Rose
Kemp has always been a musician, her up-bringing steeped in musical
heritage and folklore (her parents being Steeleye Span’s
Maddy Prior and Rick Kemp) – she has never known how do
anything else. Having been part of Bristol’s underground/DIY
scene for several years performing in an impressive array of acts
to those in the know her debut solo release has been highly anticipated.
And to a certain extent A Hand Full of Hurricanes lives up to
expectations, seeing folk heritage finding a truly modern and
interesting voice. Rose Kemp stands up as an exceptional artist
and one that should be top of the British singer/songwriter pile,
but while this album is bursting at the seams with ideas it lacks
the focus needed for it to enter in to the realms of ‘classic’.
However, there are glimpses of what Kemp is capable of and of
just how close Hurricanes is to being a ground-breaking exceptional
LP.
‘Violence’ is simply the most compelling stand-alone
track in the past year. A simple acoustic number with a metronomic
beat at its foundation, that is violently and spine-tinglingly
torn-apart by a beefed-up, metallic wall of noise.
‘Tiny Flower’ highlights Kemp’s experimental
tendencies and skills as she loops and layers her vocals over
a pulsating bass-drum beat.
The album ebbs and flows from folk, punk and metal to rock, pop
and progressive sounds, never settling on one idea long enough
for the listener to get comfortable, which while being fine and
exciting to the more discerning music fan, will undoubtedly damage
her potential to break the mass market – a break that she
deserves.
Kemp is also an undoubtedly dark and melancholic character, each
song washed in youthful melodrama and angst with very few glimpses
of light forcing through the shadows. At times listening to a
whole album of Kemp’s tortured little ditties is hard going,
demanding more that most people are willing to give for musical
enjoyment.
With a grasp of the full-range of human emotion and not just the
painful aspects of being, Kemp will rise effortlessly to the next
level and sit with, if not out-do her closest comparisons, PJ
Harvey and Cat Power.
A Hand Full of Hurricanes is an exceptionally promising and complex
debut release that is one step away from greatness. Rose Kemp
is one of rock’s brightest new stars and in a year or two
the whole world should be sharing my sentiments.
by
Chris Marks
