Roxanne de Bastion – The Real Thing
A brief glimpse at Roxanne de Bastion’s social media footprint will leave you in no doubt that she likes to play a live show, usually somewhere in England or Germany! In fact we would go as far to say that she is as near to a wandering troubadour as we get in this day and age. I’m sure Roxanne is very well aware of this status, acknowledging it in the name of her publishing/record label, Nomad Songs! I’ve been lucky enough to see Roxanne play live and can confirm that it is a very rewarding experience – she has a great voice, knows how to engage and entertain her audience and key for a troubadour, has more than a few songs, probably one for every occasion!
Roxanne’s debut album, The Real Thing was recorded in Berlin with Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Regina Spektor) and on first listen is notable for its minimalist production – for an artist debut this stripped back approach is a brave move, as I read this as a statement of intent – Roxanne saying, “I’m confident in my vocals and the strength of the songs themselves to stand alone.” The key question that leaves us with is does it work?
The opening two tracks ‘1964’ and ‘Here’s Tom With The Weather’, set a pretty fair foundation for what Roxanne de Bastion and The Real Thing are all about; a great voice, an interesting turn of phrase and an understanding of how to construct a song. That said, for me the album really comes alive with ‘Some Kind Of Creature’. There is a fire and passion that comes through in this tune as it builds in intensity throughout – giving Roxanne a chance to really rip into the vocal. The organ adds another musical dimension to a record that has been almost entirely acoustic until this point.
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The pressure that has been built by ‘Some Kind Of Creature’ is released somewhat with lo-fi offering ‘Empty Space’ which, although a nice enough tune, feels dwarfed by what has come before.
From here on in, with the exception of ‘Handwriting’ which, for us, never quite comes alive, The Real Thing really kicks up a gear. Firstly, single ‘Red And White Blood Cells’ does its poppy, punky, shouty thing and remains utterly charming throughout. ‘The Life I Lead’ is a jangly indie-pop gem with a great sing-a-long chorus and a call to ‘break out of this isolation, it’s on us to save the nation.’
‘Somewhere Upon Avon’ opens with a needle being placed on vinyl and what sounds like the beginning of a children’s nursery rhyme. Throughout the track you hear the crackle of static creating a perfect mood for this beautiful ode to childhood and how your perception of the town in which you grew up changes as you grow older. This is fine stuff and ‘My Shield’ continues the high standard, giving you a great insight into what being a musician really means to Roxanne, ‘Music is my shield in the trenches’.
Final track ‘The Real Thing’ is an emotional statement of intent from a songwriter who is determined to follow her artistic muse. The lyrical content and vocals are great and I’m pretty sure the majority of listeners will be hoping she continues down this path, creating music of this quality.
As with the great majority of records, The Real Thing isn’t perfect, however what it does have is a vision, artistic integrity and passion. As a listener I don’t mind if I don’t fully engage with every track as long as I’m treated to great musical moments, such as the introduction of the cello on ‘My Shield’ or the chance to engage with the great choruses of ‘The Life I lead’, ‘Some Kind Of Creature’ or ‘Red And White Blood Cells’ (take your choice). These moments, and many more on The Real Thing, make this a record we continue to revisit and Roxanne de Bastion an artist whose next musical steps we await with anticipation.
