Mama Rose’s “Drink More Water” Review

Water: the most precious resource. It makes up most of our world and most of every one of us. The sheer importance is outweighed and overshadowed; not but an afterthought while someone’s washing their hands too long. Gold is obtained by scratching and scrapping within the earth, while the real gold can be found where glaciers scraped and scratched thousands of years ago.
“Drink More Water” is a river system of sound. Jason Faye’s production flows finally emptying out in the golden lake bed of Mama Rose’s voice. The psychic, mother, and artist gives us a carefully crafted debut solo project. Sounds range from Neo-Folk to Hip-Hop as Mama Rose pulls inspiration from many corners of the music landscape. So fill up your water bottles while we swim through the body of the project.
The first sip is sweet to the taste as Mama Rose balances her voluptuous voice against a subtly sax-laden soft synth boom-bap in the lead single “Sweet Waters.” Mama Rose sets the tone with this track and delivers an important message while displaying her affection for the sweetest drink.
Stormclouds roll in and it begins to rain. The water levels begin to rise and the banks are overwhelmed. Mama Rose calls out through the storm in the second track “Flood.” Entrancing folk twangs and opulent violin drawls accompany a cinematic soundscape of thunder and rain. This unforgiving storm gives Mama Rose an opportunity to wash away the pain of the past. The song builds gradually into the glorious climax where trap-styled high hats and energetic snares unfurl, darting around the rest of the instrumentation.
The storm clears, providing Mama Rose clarity in “Choose.” This midway track is a shift in the atmosphere. Mama Rose puts her melody away for a moment as she chooses her words more deliberately, delivering confident heavy bars over sparse, but felicitous snaps.

“I say whatever I want, and you can too.
I say we do what we know we can do:

Choose.”

-Mamma Rose, Choose

“Hollow Walls” is a different experience all in itself. There is but one sound: Mama Rose’s voice. Her individual vocal takes float and sink, sweep and spread hauntingly covering every pocket of space and frequency. This supernatural sound paints a picture of a different space occupied by serendipitous spirits. This track caught me off guard in the best way. Originality and an impeccable mix make this my favorite track on “Drink More Water.”
Mama Rose conveys the intimate sanctity between two people who create a life together in the song “Faithful.” It comes with bittersweet moments when two people grow; and grow apart. With pure emotion, Mama Rose shares the small, but endearing moments instilled in the partnership of parenthood while admitting the pain of its absence. There’s light in the overcast, however, as Mama Rose’s faith is restored; found in a partner that truly believes in the person across from him.
This song elevates the rest of the project, lyrically speaking. Mama Rose plays with words and bounces stacked syllables all while projecting her emotion transparently. I’ve remembered these words for a while hearing this for the first time in acapella from back when we still had open mics at Fifth Element. I’m happy to hear these words on Mama Rose’s debut album.
“Money Trees” is the culmination of “Drink More Water.” A lone, dreary piano encircles Mama Rose’s colorful voice. The words she uses most aptly describe that color:

“[Money] it don’t grow on trees/
It grows in bushes with sweet blackberries
And dark green leaves.”

Rich. Lucious. Full of life.

This piano ballad meeting with Mama Rose’s commanding, comforting voice, carries you to the end of this river in somber reminisce.
The one definitive word I would choose to describe “Drink More Water” is complete. From the full production to the colorful mix, Mama Rose wastes no space in these waters as every word, every melody carries its weight worth in gold.

”Drink More Water” Releases tomorrow February 26th. In the meantime, listen to the lead single “Sweet Waters."

Checkout the fill interview we did with Mama Rose on the Melodic Noise Podcast, subscribe where ever you listen to podcasts.

Charlotte "Mama" Rose is a Minneapolis MN based mother of three, multidisciplinary artist and psychic. Her music bridges genres and supports the human experience with emotionally provocative lyricism and a full spectrum of soft to powerful vocals. Her first solo project is set to release soon. Stay up to date on social media and find more at mamarose.blog

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Review by: Paul Thorson, Hip-Hop Writer @PaulyT03
Edited by: Andrew Perrizo, Owner @PlaylistTC