On her album Loner, Caroline Rose gives her listeners a thoughtful examination of female sexuality, punctuated by sick synth riffs. Each track blazes with originality and energy. Caroline's satirical lyrics find humor in serious issues like mental illness and misogyny.
However, I think Caroline's thoughts on sexuality are the most compelling part of this album.
"Soul No.5" is Caroline's confident assertion of her own sexuality. She yells, "I like to keep a loser freak in the sheets." This declaration shows her casual, glib attitude toward a topic many people still find taboo.
On "Smile", Caroline uses a cacophony of distorted voices to explore how annoying it is for women to be told to smile constantly. "Bikini" deals with the commodification of the female body.
"Getting To Me" and "Animal" both explore romantic relationships. "Getting To Me" expresses a desperate longing for romance. "Animal" exudes physicality. Caroline explores the lust she feels for an ex. Anger toward her ex's new partner consumer her thoughts until she loses reason and becomes "like an Animal."
The cover art is fantastic and belies the humor present on this album. Caroline creates a visually striking red and white color scheme, reminiscent of the sharp and focused color schemes of early White Stripes albums. This draws the eye to the album and holds the viewer's attention. The font choice and framing of the shot remind me of a Wes Anderson film. Caroline's casual attire, the red sweatsuit, gives the album a casual visual aspect, which matches with the frank tone Caroline addresses serious issues with. Of course, the most striking feature of the cover is Caroline's mouth filled with a pack of cigarettes. It's comical, but it also hints at the dark, mordant humor of the lyrics.
Conclusion: It rocks and it has something to say. Listen.
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