With over 15 years of stage experience, Valerie Rose is above all a performer. Though, as an indie artist she also has to juggle production, songwriting, composition as well as handling all the other boring, behind-the-scenes work, performance is her the quality that most colors how she handles all those other demands. This shines through her latest single, “Tin Can Woman”, released on the fourth of July (with its own internal fireworks).
Stylistically a mix of rock, Americana, blues, and Jazz, “Tin Can Woman” is a spirited song. That spirit comes as much from Valerie’s passionate, somewhat alluringly raspy vocals. Lyrically, the song is the expressive voice of a confident, bold woman centralizing herself.
Yet, the loveliest quality of the song—and of Valerie herself—is that it simply doesn’t take itself too seriously. With a hint of self-mockery in the performative boldness and over-the-top self presentation, this is where Valerie the performer comes across. A quality that is easy to discern in the single itself, with moments of laughter and commentary peppered across the song, but is most apparent in the music video, which follows Valerie as she drinks, jesters, and walks the streets like a king. This is a song that is easy to imagine Valerie having genuine fun making, a quality that makes it more endearing to the audience.
This over-the-top performativity, however, takes nothing from the musical foundation of the song. Guitarist Jim Moran, drummer Shinya Miyamoto, bassist Neville L’Green (Gloria Gaynor), keyboardist Mark Mancini and saxophonist Richie Cannata have come together with Valerie to create this energetic, soulful song, with Cannata’s saxophone solo standing out. Among this summer’s indie releases, “Tin Can Woman” stands out.
