Fifty years ago it was all about ‘Virginia Plain’, but these days it is arguably now about Rozi Plain – who was born as Rosalind Leyden – whose music has always felt like a freeze-frame. A colourful and graceful snapshot of the world, paused, suspended in time, and then gently toyed with, like stepping out of the linear world as we know it.
Over the course of five albums, Rozi Plain’s hypnotic, gently askew songs have steadily sauntered their way from her birthplace of Winchester, reverberated through the bustling Bristol DIY scene, to where they now emanate from London’s creative epicentre. Acquiring a worldliness that’s reflected in her travels as a touring musician, each consecutive release has broached new sonic territory, whilst retaining a home-grown intimacy and a familial warmth of spirit. On ‘Prize’, her brand new long-player, Rozi’s unique, heart-felt approach continues to prevail, marking her as one of our most innovative and engaging songwriters.
At the core of Rozi’s idiosyncratic sound, there is a keening for simplicity; a recurring urge to strip things back to their essence, to reveal their innate beauty. Four songs into the new album on the track ‘Prove Your Good’, she asks directly: “What do we want?; Less; Do you want more?; Yes”
The innate conflict of this sentiment is finely tuned across her entire body of work, owing to her distinct lyrical and melodic delivery. Rozi uses her singular unaffected vocal accompanied by an electric-guitar she built herself. Chords are broken into cyclical, meditative patterns of plucked staccato figures. These punchy, quietly complex entrancing arpeggios reel you in, crucially allowing room for reflection and collaboration.
On ‘Prize’, Rozi has assembled her widest cast of players to create an album that not only preserves the intimacy of her signature guitar-and-vocal sound, but accentuates these moments of calm, and explosive emotion, amidst a soaring, collective spirit. From the blissful vocals of This Is The Kit’s Kate Stables on ‘Agreeing For Two’, to the call-and response vocals on ‘Prove Your Good’; from the expansive instrumentation and ornately co-ordinated arrangements of ‘Help’ and ‘Sore’, to the sublime synth celebration explorations of ‘Painted The Room’, and the woozy jazz-inflected ‘Spot Thirteen’; there’s a sense of togetherness, and the very process of coming together, that permeates throughout the album’s ten tracks. Check out the album HERE.
In support of the new release, Rozi is heading out across the country on tour. She will be dropping in to Brighton on Sunday 12th March, when she will be performing live at The Hope & Ruin on Queens Road. Tickets for the concert can be purchased HERE and HERE.
