Lia Rose
When You Need Me Most
San Francisco, CA
“Beautiful blend of vocals and strings”
The instrumentals and vocals featured on Lia Rose’s album When You Need Me Most each possess a quiet strength. The two work together, one never overshadowing the other, making this a successful solo effort for the California indie singer/songwriter.
Each track has its strengths, but the two songs that stand out are “Lovely Like You” and “An Innocent Man.” “Lovely Like You” begins with drums, quickly adding keys and Rose’s tranquil voice. Aside from the vocals, the highlight of this track is the spectacular cello accompaniment by Michael Fecskes. The combination of vocals and cello throughout the track and album gives the record a relaxed feel.
“An Innocent Man” has a similar structure, this time beginning with a subdued vibraphone leading into Rose’s vocals and Fecskes’s cello. But the repetition of structure in no way detracts from the quality of the song. On this track, all the sounds have a more airy quality, giving the track a haunting melody. It’s a stunning example of Rose’s ability to mix-up her sound while retaining a consistency in the soothing blend of vocals and instrumentation.
Recorded and mixed by Robert Cheek // Additional engineering by Remco van der Heide // Mastered by T. W. Walsh