These are interesting times for Rosey. His inspired cover of Blu Cantrell’s ‘Breathe’ gave him a rare opportunity for mass audience consumption, but what now? Continue to follow his own path or go for that bigger market?
Clearly a labour of love, Only Love Is Real is a lot of the former but just might grab him a bit of the latter. It’s a lovely album in the best sense of the word, Rosey’s warm vocals matched by a musical background that manages to be inventive without being intrusive. Josh Johnston’s rolling piano is perhaps the key factor, helping the singer sound like more than just your standard solo strummer. Add percussion and brass and you have an invigorating mix.
Sometimes it might stray a little too far into busker territory, as with the stomping title track, yet somehow it always manages to maintain its charm. The world won’t stop turning but this is a bit of global warming that should definitely be welcomed.