Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
Americana and country aesthetics have been coming back in a big way this year, and although she has a lot of external influence from outside the umbrella of the Nashville establishment, singer/songwriter FIREROSE takes great influence from the two schools in her new single beside beau Billy Ray Cyrus “Plans” this fall. Much like the content we heard on her debut album this year, “Plans” exploits the melodic profile FIREROSE brings to the table marvelously but stops short of overstating her harmonies and the sonic depth of the instrumentation behind her. There’s certainly been no shortage of overindulgence in the content I’ve been reviewing from her peers this season, but hers is a sound more efficient than it ever is elegant because of excess.
FIREROSE’s lyrics are her main focus in this performance, and if you compare what she’s doing here to how she approaches the narrative in other songs, I think it’s more than obvious that she’s growing more exponentially than some of the competition is. She’s steadily developing a poetic sensibility that fuses the best parts of youthful angst and a much more mature self-awareness, the latter of which ironically fashions these verses with wisdom I wasn’t necessarily expecting to find here. “Plans” feels like an awakening for her skill set in this regard, and perhaps the first real stepping stone she’ll need to bridge the gap between underground fame and mainstream popularity. I’d be lying if I said she didn’t sound cut out for the big leagues in this single, greatly because of her command of linguistics.
Personality has been a big component of the first three tracks this player has released, and I love that she never sounds like she’s fronting just to fit in with a trending model in indie country today. As much as her swelling Americana sound matches up with what a lot of audiences have been getting into lately, she doesn’t rock the aesthetic in this performance sounding like she’s simply trying to fit in with the top tier of Nashville. Much as she’s been since day one, she’s being herself, rejecting predictability and the typical toxicities still too common among female country singers on either side of the dial in 2023. “Plans” sports a vigor and an inspiring edge that I can get into, and I think anyone in the mood for a pick-me-up this September will appreciate what it has to offer.
Despite being a relatively fresh face to listeners, this talented artist has a presence in her work that no critic can dismiss, no matter how particular or discriminating, and breaks of a sincere and swaggering performance beside BRC in “Plans” that are bound to get a big reaction out of both critics and fans when it hits record store shelves this month. As far as credibility goes, FIREROSE already has a charisma in her discography that makes it hard for anyone to challenge her potential moving into the future, and I don’t believe I need to hear any further proof of her eminence beyond what she’s done in this white-hot duet.
Kelly McKinnon
