REVIEW: Caroline Romano Releases Oddities and Prodigies
A vibrant, unique album with relatability, flashes of necessary softness, clusters of head bobbing-worthy beats, and brilliant musicality tied up in one superb package. Self-described as the “loudest sort of introvert”, the Nashville, pop-alt artist Caroline Romano debuted in 2016, with her single Masterpiece followed by Ready which managed to secure the number three spot on Radio Disney’s Top 30 Chart – an outstanding feat for her second release. She was later featured on the Billboard’s Dance chart with I Still Remember (ft. R3HAB) and I’m sure with this new album, the artist will secure many more chart positions and recognition for her talent.
Romano’s ethos seems to reflect an important message of support for the youth of today where her generation is continuously delving through the expectations of the generations that came before them whilst still trying to pave their own path in an ever-changing world full of anxiety-inducing situations and decisions. Her lyrics showcase this, exploring the “highs and lows of being young in today’s world”, resonating within her words as the songs progress. There are exceptional poignant lyrical moments, accompanied beautifully with well-thought-out instrumentation in the majority of the songs, showcasing Romano’s fantastic song-writing ability, displaying maturity and an ability to reflect internally with exacting clarity. Her metaphor in Grocery Store highlights the emotions the song wants to convey beautifully.
“I’ve walked these aisles, up and down for miles, but I can’t find you.”
The album varies in tone and pace, maintaining the listener’s interest in a variety of styles that still present a sound that is distinctly Caroline Romano, despite interspersing moments that suggest potential influence from the industry. These changes of pace are very well placed throughout the album, changing the tone to something more upbeat or venturing through lighter topics when needed. Romano has a good ear for tempo as well, this really comes through in a number of songs, specifically, some of my favourites Dizzy and Lonely Interlude where the verses’ backing instrumentation works incredibly well with her chosen melody.
I would greatly recommend this album: it is a fantastic representation of Caroline Romano’s talent; it is definitely something I will be having on repeat for the foreseeable future and is someone I will adding to my Spotify playlists as soon as possible!