album of the week: while my father sleeps - oh, rose

There’s an undeniable raw energy to the musical return of Oh, Rose. Perhaps the music’s seemingly unstoppable whirlwind is due largely in part to its subject material, with the band’s Olivia Rose penning the album following the passing of her mother. However, much as the band demonstrated on the previously released SEVEN, Oh, Rose has a knack for presenting everything unfiltered, and that honesty, which comes dripping from the very first note is what makes their work so impressionable.

Opening with “25, Alive,” a song of contrasting elements — Rose’s soft soprano and the song’s ferocious instrumentals — the track explores the desire to let go. It’s a literal interpretation of the material, as the band seemingly rids itself of the anger it seeks to no longer feel, and heads furlong into the twinkling, experimental masterpiece, “Believe It.”

Each passing moment feels like a larger than life spectacle, presented not with anything flashy, but rather a pulling intimacy. While My Father Sleeps feels like an unveiling of thoughts and emotions once relegated to a single person’s heart, and now, it’s being passed onto you. It’s hard to turn your back on the sensual swing of “You’ve Got Fire” or to not feel yourself slipping through the pauses of “Water,” an unhurried acoustic number punctuated by a powerful soprano. These aren’t confessions poured out on a social media timeline for you to scroll past. Rather, let this sit with you, feel the discomfort, the loss, the anguish, and the recovery that comes after.

It’s hard to definitively know or even say where Oh, Rose is headed after a period of loss, but While My Father Sleeps presents some element of hope. Guided by Rose’s unique vocals and tales of rising from the ashes “Phoenix” and wishes for one to “Be Kind To Me” it seems that healing has started, and what a privilege it is that we were able to witness and be part of that growth.