Rose Hotel - "The House That We Knew"
Today, we’re excited to premiere The House That We Knew, the new EP from Rose Hotel. The EP follows the release of it’s lead single “Expansion,” and sees Jordan Reynolds, the Atlanta-based artist behind the project, further refining her distinct brand of conversational, heart-on-your-sleeve songwriting. Here, she builds off many of the concepts explored on “Expansion,” working in some darker textures in the process, while still staying true to the confessional style that makes her music so intriguing.
The songs on The House That We Knew are arresting in their sparseness and intimacy, with gorgeously minimalist instrumentation that allows Reynolds’ ruminative introspections and her outward facing concerns about the world around her to command complete attention. From the very outset, her guitar playing is gentle and drifting, particularly on “Expansion” and “After,” as her vocal inflections bring focus to her own inward self-reflections and the negative implications of our rapidly deteriorating climate. “After” marks a shift in the emotional tenor of the music, as the prominently featured forceful piano playing further amplifies Reynolds’ distressed messaging. The middle track, “Omina,” carries on this more pointed flavor, as Reynolds’ finger picking increases in intensity, emphasizing the disillusionment many feel as the world burns around us, which is captured perfectly through lines like “Ice is melting, but I’m all thumbs.” Just as Reynolds nicely eases the listener into these more poignant moments, she similarly softly transitions to the EP’s concluding moments with the floatier sounding “Space” and a dreamy, synth-laden cover of the Bobby Gentry classic, “Courtyard.” It’s a neat, nicely packed journey that benefits from a clearly delineated beginning, middle, and end, making you feel like you’re along with Reynolds for the ride.
Stream the EP in its entirety below!
The House That We Knew is out now via Cold Lunch Recordings. Stream it on your platform of choice and check out Rose Hotel on Bandcamp. Keep up with Rose Hotel by following them on Instagram.
