Late Blooming is eponymous debut EP from Late Blooming, telling at once the story of the parts of her that bloom late, and showcasing just what she’s capable of.
By Graeme Smith
Real name Rose Rutledge, Late Blooming is a Brooklyn, USA-based producer, singer, songwriter and flautist. Rose majored in classical music performance after moving from her native Seattle to New York City. Her compositions are centred around her flute melodies, but bring so much more to the equation, including elements of jazz, lo-fi ambience, electro pop, and alternative indie.
It’s a lot to pack into a five track EP, but she does it with a practiced hand. Each track is expansive, not afraid to take their time developing, giving us soundscapes in which we can easily get lost.
The EP opens with the vibrant, rousing and chanting Everytime I. Soft vocals are contrasted by hard percussion during a slow-building first verse before things arrive at a swirling crescendo. At once, Late Blooming shows us her ability to create a unique sound while providing us with a relatable sonic balm. It’s a strong start.
From there, we get a repeating pattern for the EP’s other four tracks – an extended prelude before a track proper. There are two further tales, My Dreams and Feet in the Sea. The former’s prelude is meditative and ambient before we move into a simmering, emotional number. The latter pairs a thoughtful and haunting prelude with a brooding, hypnotic album closer.
I love an original voice and Rose is certainly one of those. She’s got plenty to say with her lyrics, but perhaps even more so with her unique, looping compositions. I’m very excited to hear more from her.
Late Blooming was written, performed, produced, mixed and mastered by Rose. Its artwork is by Maya Coplin. The EP is out now and you can give it a listen below.