After a tough breakup Dougall shows inspiring self awareness
A review of Rose Elinor Dougall’s third studio album, A New Illusion
Rose Elinor Dougall started her career as a member of the indie pop group, The Pipettes. Since the band broke up and Dougall started honing her craft as a musician, she’s developed an impressive solo discography. While her debut album was more bedroom pop the follow up, Stellular was created for arenas. Which leads us to her latest project, New Illusion. Dougall has reeled in her pop leanings and put pen to paper. This album still has a great number of instrumentation and collaborators, but the songs are more sharply focused. With songwriting being the focal point, she has crafted a beautiful album that blends genres with ease and sears through tough relationship woes with class.
New Illusion is a breakup record, but not your traditional breakup record. Dougall is neither sad nor petty about the way things ended. She’s found this remarkable ability to view her relationship and its mistakes at a bird’s eye view. There is no regret, only acceptance. On album opener ‘Echoes’ she croons about how ‘no matter how hard you try, sensations you can’t deny, they will go, you feel the echoes’. In the eyes of Dougall , the present is a culmination of past moments in one time, including those of our parents. These sentiments on the past…
