Beth Rowley - Gota Fría (2018)

Ten years ago the singer-songwriter's debut 'Little Dreamer' went top 10, garnered a Brit nomination and sales in excess of 100,000. A huge achievement by anyone's standards but a tainted one for Rowley – she felt compromised both musically and stylistically, modeled in the labels image as a mainstream contender. A Spanish weather term 'Gota Fría' struck Rowley as the perfect album title. It describes “long periods of the clouds breaking off and remaining stationary for weeks and then sudden violent clashes of warm and cold currents. I thought it was a beautiful name, and an awesome album title, because the meaning is so bold and a perfect image of my own journey.”

A heady fusion of rock, blues and Americana 'Gota Fría' is a startling rebirth, with a confidence that belies that ten-year absence. Working with co-writers Ron Sexsmith, Marcus Bonfanti and Ben Castle, Rowley has delivered an album that smolders, in both explosive and intimate forms. 'Howl at the Moon' and 'Only One Cloud', evoke the swarthy drama of Led Zeppelin while 'Brother' and 'Run to the Light' are ember-glowing ballads. 'Hide from Your Love' and 'Forest Fire' splice country-folk roots with the vibe and energy of the Bristol scene that gave birth to her voice while 'Get it Back' is equal parts rock and soul and 'Brave Face' nods to the '70s west coast sound.