Lost your password?

Song

Number 149

Artist

Rosalie Cunningham

Rosalie Cunningham backstory

Cunningham burst onto the scene a decade ago as the charming and charismatic frontwoman of psychedelic rock throwbacks Purson.

Dazzling debut The Circle And The Blue Door drew the attention of major labels on both sides of the Pond.

And in 2016 Purson followed up with Desire’s Magic Theatre on Universal Music imprint Spinefarm.

But with the world at their feet Cunningham and co. faced challenges on and off the stage and one of the UK’s most exciting new acts disbanded a year later.

For a while it looked like the end of the road for the striking face of Purson.

But Cunningham rose from the ashes to release her debut solo album in 2019 and maintain a dizzying journey towards prog and psych rock perfection.

Number 149 — backed with another new track Fossil Song — proves there’s plenty more to come from a supremely gifted singer songwriter.

In Rosalie Cunningham’s own words:

“There wasn’t an awful lot going on during lockdown, so looking back was a source of inspiration for me. 

“Number 149 and Fossil Song are both heavily nostalgic. 149 is about the house I grew up in that still, all these years later, worms its way into my dreams almost nightly in forever transmuting guises. 

“There is obviously a deep yearning in me to return to a time when the world seemed a much more magical place and those rooms, those bricks and mortar, represent that to me.”

The verdict on Number 149

Best enjoyed in glorious technicolour (check out the psych-tastic video) this is Cunningham back to her endearing and enigmatic best.

With haunting melodies rooted in the late 60s/early 70s progressive rock scene and lyrical content reassuringly familiar to Cunningham/Purson devotees, Number 149 should be number one.

Cunningham’s eerily comforting tone has grown deeper and more delightful during the last decade.

And paired with sweeping keys and a poppy riff it’s a perfect snapshot of what this unique talent does best.

Hardly on trend and yet ideal for the strange times in which we live, Number 149 is a refreshing example of bold ambition writ large.

What’s next for Rosalie Cunningham?

Summer festival dates are in the diary and a UK/European headline tour is set for 2022.

Cunningham has been busy during lockdown and a new album could see the light of day before the end of the year.

Here’s hoping!