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By Ellen Rawson

She's of Irish and Italian descent, a Boston native who's lived in England for the last ten years. When Eileen Rose opens her album with "Rose," she admits that "I was sure enough to come, I was dumb enough to stay/But all the secrets of my soul weren't enough to keep me straight." They're confessional opening lines to an album that will continue to reveal bits of pieces of autobiography both from Rose's childhood and her life in England. With a versatile voice that can sound like a sweet, gentle waif one moment and an earthy, determined woman who's seen it all and survived the next, she remembers her father's admonition: "Rose, never learn to sing the blues" - sung, of course, to a country blues beat.

With a new artist, comparisons to other performers are common. However, it's hard to pigeonhole Rose. There are moments when her voice edges towards Stevie Nicks, but it's generally deeper and richer than Nicks'. Michelle Shocked and Ani DiFranco may also come to mind, but it's more that like them, she's not afraid to state her mind, be a little provocative if necessary, and boldly employ her music to communicate directly with her listeners. On "Walk the Jetty," she uses an inviting melody combined with a rock back beat and some syncopation as she sings its chorus in such a direct fashion it's easy to imagine her with microphone in hand staring down a guy in the front. Her lyrics don't need to go into excessive detail to disclose what's going on. "Why are you crying? You said you wanted to know!" she demands in "Still in the Family"; those two lines tell more of the story than several verses might reveal.

It's on "Silver Ladle," however, that Rose really lets her emotions cut loose. Surprisingly, it's a quiet, dreamy, almost hymn-like number that shows the vulnerability behind the smart talk as her voice drifts between waif-like girl and confident, strong woman.

Eileen Rose is a find in both the UK and the US. This debut release finds her trying out various genres, even trying out a blues-type style on "Booze Talkin' (I Ain't Listening)," an underground rock feel on "New Penny," and a gentle pop sound on "Lincoln Park" with its brief homage to Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline. It could just be that versatility that makes Shine Like It Does shimmer and shine.

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