Rachel Reese recently dropped a new single, called “Dozen Roses,” a song about blowing off a faithless lover. The song gives listeners a foretaste of more to come on her debut full-length album, West.
Reese grew up on a dirt road in Enid, OK, where she began singing almost before she could talk. This talent led to singing in church, school, and county fairs. Her ambition to create the best songs possible led her to Nashville, where she honed her craft.
“It’s the place where the craft of songwriting is still something that people take really seriously,” Reese notes. “The fact that the city’s many great writers could really turn a phrase and do the things that they do and had worked hard to become great at it was something that became a huge part of who I am as an artist.”
Somewhere in there, Reese studied audio production at Pyramid in San Francisco and fronted a band, followed by a return to Nashville for round two and recording her first EP. In 2014, Reese moved to Austin, TX, where she released a six-track EP, Siren, garnering rave reviews.
In the end, Rachel believes, it all boils down to one central idea: “You’re either telling the truth or you’re not telling the truth.”
“Dozen Roses” opens on trembling guitars riding a So-Cal country tune. A radiant organ fills the backdrop, as the compelling rhythm travels on a tight bass line and crisp drums. On the chorus, vibrant harmonies and swelling harmonics give the tune a coruscating brilliance. On the verses, a running guitar riff infuses the song with infectious hues.
Reese’s voice, tantalizing and elusively twangy, sparks with passion and nuanced tones. Her delivery is spot on, full of annoyance at her man, who has become a nuisance with his dishonesty and philandering.
With “Dozen Roses,” Rachel Reese demonstrates she has the vocal chops and songwriting ability to go all the way.