Roseanna Ball
Album: Time
Label: Haven
Tracks: 11
Website: http://www.roseannaball.com

Roseanna Ball has been performing since 2007 under the name of Roholio, releasing an album in 2014 called Geography.

She is now performing under her full name and has released Time, her first professional studio album.

The album credits reveal that Boo Hewerdine was executive producer, which is no bad thing.

This is an intensely personal album of songs. As we know time waits for no-one and this is one singer who is determined to make her mark.

Her vocal range is impressive - stretching from the powerful urgings in the title track to the subtlety found in the moving Too Soon, the most beautiful song to be found here.

A multi-instrumentalist, Rose is equally at home on guitar, mandolin, banjo and piano.

A strident mandolin belts out Down In The Depths - a polemic about the loss of the coal mines.

So there's plenty of songs about loss but also plenty of hope also.

Simple songs like Bullseye - simple but effective, with a double tracked vocal.

Thoughtful songs like Hold Tight - a song for all oppressed people.

It is on Laid Down we hear Rose in her most traditional guise. A simple song that oozes class. The album concludes with Out - with a simple accompaniment - that allows Rose's vocals to stretch out.

Yes this is an album where Rose certainly stretches out. This a fresh, thought-provoking album from a young singer with something to shout out

John Knighton