Like many of Esther Rose's past songs being emotionally gut punching, every song from Safe to Run blasts repeatedly through your chest like a professional kickboxer. Her fourth studio album is just another prime example of why she's currently one of my favorite voices in music. It's simple, quaint, and lovely.
Michigan born singer songwriter Esther Rose has been creating some heartfelt, funny, and heartbreaking tunes for several years at this point. In different stylings of folk rock, country, Americana, and acoustic pop, Rose knows how to craft a great, memorable well written tune that can be humorous on one end but also emotional gut wrenching on the other. She's been on quite the winning streak with her three studio albums so far: This Time Last Night in 2017, You Made It This Far in 2019, and How Many Times in 2021. All three have been stellar and each one progressing even more in Rose's growth, quality, and craft than the last. Now on her fourth studio album, Safe to Run seems to be like a different era for Rose.
She previously trekked to New Orleans when she wrote How Many Times and now she's trekked to Taos, New Mexico for this new album. Now signed to New West Records, there's definitely a desolate, airy, and desert-like feel when listening to her new album. Like many of Esther Rose's past songs being emotionally gut punching, every song from Safe to Run blasts repeatedly through your chest like a professional kickboxer. It's a heart wrenching listen but it's without its typical wit and humor that Esther is typically throwing at you. You still get the classic charm and endearing croon from Rose along with fingerpicked guitars and swaying strings. What's noticeably different on Safe to Run is the dreamier instrumentation and production. Some songs even float into dream pop or indie pop territory which is a nice surprise to hear like the super jangly "New Magic II" or the bubbly drum machines backing "Levee Song." "New Magic II" is incredibly put together and it's one of my favorites on the album. Lead single "Chet Baker" is about her time being young, reckless, and almost dying in a car crash when she lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It's a nicely written retrospective on acceptance from your youth, where once again Rose's simplicity is the key to making her music so memorable. It didn't hit hard for me at first as a lead single but with numerous listens now under my belt, it's gotten better with time.
You know how I mentioned the gut punching ballads that will potentially knock your teeth out? There here in spades. "Spider" is certainly one of those with its slow paced somber and its lyrics playfully describe her past love as a spider: "when you spin me up in your cocoon and you drain me out, leaving me useless and blue." Vocally, it's one of her most powerful performances yet. The same goes for "Safe to Run," the title track. Featuring indie icon Hurray for the Riff Raff, it has the best progression on the entire album. It slowly builds into a dramatic, powerful ending with the vocal performance being so emotionally compelling, you may tear up at first listen like I did. "St. Francis Waltz" is arguably her most beautiful and gut punching song in her career. Oof, I feel like I need a break after I hear this one. The way her croon gently sways with the strings is incredible and dreamlike. I really feel those words when she asks, "how does it feel to come home to me now?" I also love the sample placed towards the end, which sounds like maybe a narration from a telenovela. It's interesting and cool to hear samples being used on an Esther Rose album.
"Dream Girl" is lovely song. It's simple, short, and sweet. There's nothing too crazy going on that makes it stand out from the others but it's just a solid, certified Esther Rose bop. It's a little redundant in its chorus but it's cute, nonetheless. "Insecure" is also super dreamy in its lushly strummed guitars. The chorus also is a little bit repetitive but she makes up for it with some great lines like "and I know you love me, cause you buy me shit." "Full Value" has a slowly built, brooding energy to it that I really do love. "Arm's Length" closes the album in spectacular fashion, being both emotionally compelling ("I'm keeping you at arm's length") and cheeky ("come on, Jesus don't you die for me / you take yourself so seriously"). The performance kind of reminds me of another album closer of hers, "Songs Remain." I also love the last lines sung on the song and on the entire album: "you know life is like a video game / level up, big score, game over." It's simple, quaint, and lovely... which are three things I could also easily say about Safe to Run. Esther Rose keeps on releasing high quality balladry that's equally moving as it is charming. Safe to Run is just another prime example of why she's currently one of my favorite voices in music. It's a noticeable step up in production too with added color. I'm also very happy that she's been getting more press on this album cycle, which is so awesome. She deserves all the praise!
My Rating: 8 / 10
Favorite Songs: "New Magic II," "Spider," "St. Francis Waltz," "Safe to Run," "Arm's Length," "Chet Baker"
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