In a blend of retro-blues and psychedelic tones, Claire Rosinkranz’s music style takes a tour across a wide genre of music as she explores and creates a soundtrack that can only best be described as one of bedroom pop. “Backyard Boy” was Rosinkraz’s hit soundtrack when it first came out — however, she is not a one-hit wonder, as her robust writing style blends well with the pop of instruments and vocals she put forth in her latest album “Just Because.”
19-year-old singer-songwriter Claire Rosinkranz released her fresh album “Just Because” on July 14, 2023. Rosinkranz does an amazing job of combining the most heart wrenching parts of adolescence with the best, most freeing moments. To really review this album, there were three main factors that I considered: powerful emotions, the unique blend of vocals and full-bodied imagery.
Rosinkranz was raw with her delivery, sharing a continuous journey of healing from painful relationships through her song writing. Her music felt like a sit-down with a close companion, sharing secrets and laughing at inside jokes. Like pages torn out of a diary, listening to her album was more intimate than I imagined, allowing listeners to live vicariously through her experiences. In the song “Swinging at the Stars,” she describes wanderlust and a carefree feeling that is nostalgic and new at the same time. This emotion is quickly juxtaposed with its loss in the harsh “Screw Time,” an ode to the quickening of time. As she communicates a nonchalant vibe in her album, she also explores the uncertainty of young relationships with songs like “Polarized”, “Dreamer” and “Banksy.” Almost as if she was narrating her life story, the wounds of friendship, breakup and the loss of connections filled me with reassurance — it was relieving to see that Rosinkranz was still sifting through her emotions just like me.
In terms of vocals, Rosinkranz is not afraid to try new things. Ad-libs of speech, coupled with hi-hats and electric guitar make songs such as “Sad in Hawaii,” “Never Goes Away” and “Pools and Palm Trees” sound like tropical blues. She takes new leaps with her voice, playing around with different refrains and textures and experimenting with gravelly backing vocals — something I find admirable in up-and coming artists.
Lastly, the imagery Rosinkranz curates is dreamy. This soundtrack is very upbeat and it whisked me away to my imagination for a while. Her voice quality was another factor that sold this album to me. Her voice is clear and crisp in some songs but harsh and hurtful in others. The complexity of these two themes fit well with the overall vibe of the album, and the feeling of a tropical vacation in Hawaii comes through in every track.
To find a relatable artist airing out their concerns — and finding out they are similar to mine — made me feel heard. Overall, I give “Just Because” a solid 10/10. It spelled out the quintessential nature of growing pains perfectly while maintaining an upbeat tempo and rhythm.