Rose Elinor Dougall - Start / Stop/ Synchro

Several weeks ago Rose Elinor Dougall, the ex Pipette who came good, released Start/Stop/Synchro - her second single. Desperate to post about the song, we held back until the video had also been released.

Start/Stop/Synchro is sophisticated and fresh sounding pop that bounds with musical intelligence. Opening with a churchlike harpsicord shuffle, the song quickly grows into something that is full of thoughtful retrospection, the sound of someone moving on. “I was once beautiful to you, but we can’t escape the fact that I will never be her, Oh I’m pleased to say that I will never be her,” Rose sings in a tone that is mournful and yet uplifting. Dougal guides the music through something that is ultimately just a pop song (not that there is anything lightweight in being just a pop song - great pop has the power to change lives) but Start/Stop/Synchro seems somehow more than that. This depth suggests that Dougal may be heading towards darker edgier territories, a sound that recalls The Book Lovers by Broadcast, french pop noir, a dash of Stereolab, arthouse cinema and just a vague pinch of the debut from Bat For Lashes maybe. It’s an exciting prospect. Another Version Of Pop Song was good, but this is gratifyingly better.

Enjoy the stark black and white minimalist video, filmed we believe in Suffolk, where Rose and her gang mooch around for a while before forgetting to take their clothes off as they go into the sea. You can also read an interview with Rose by Breaking More Waves here