Caroline Rose has unveiled a new single from their forthcoming fourth album The Art of Forgetting, sharing “The Doldrums” alongside its own visualizer. They will also be heading out on a massive tour with two dates in Southern California at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on May 5 and at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown on May 6. Ever a producer of cinematically minded and genre-shifting alt-pop, her last two albums were characterized by glam-rock and sleek electronica. But Rose’s lyricism on Superstar and Loner has helped define her music also — at times ardently blithe and at others electrifyingly veracious.
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On “The Doldrums,” they take their introspection to new depths, building around them a sonorous echo chamber of cascading rhythms and percussion. Tapping into a newfound etherealness, the song opens with this murky transmission from Rose as they recall a dreamy vision of a person being burned at the stake. “In a dream / There’s someone I hate,” they warble. “A smile creeps across my face / As they burn there at the stake.” As the dream ends and they’re jolted awake, the song’s tumbling medley of beats kicks in and contortions of distorted tones fill the background.
“‘The Doldrums’ was the song I wrote when I was realizing I had basically no understanding of self-compassion,” Rose explained. “It’s about the voice inside my head that blames me for everything that’s ever gone wrong, mostly things out of my control. My idea of rebirth and reformation at the time was killing off my old self and finding a new one, rather than simply being kind to myself. Not because I didn’t want to be, but because I didn’t really know how.”
As with most of the songs that will appear in The Art of Forgetting, the confrontation with a past self on “The Doldrums” stems out of an attempt to reconcile the person you are today with the different versions of you that once existed. From a break-up to long-buried childhood memories, the song encompasses Rose’s grappling with being haunted by their recollection.
The visualizer for “The Doldrums” only adds to the eerieness encountered in the song as it features a single shot of the artist sitting in front of a faint fire as they sing the song. Pitch blackness surrounds them and often casts concealing shadows across their face as the track’s already ominous soundscape passes over the noisy footage.
Caroline Rose will perform at The Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on May 5.
The Art of Forgetting the new album from Caroline Rose is out Mar. 24 via New West Records, pre-order it here.
Visit Caroline Rose on their website, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Caroline Rose tour
Fri. March 31 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Arthur Zankel Music Center
Sat. April 1 – Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus
Tue. April 4 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Wed. April 5 – Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
Thu. April 6 – Boston, MA @ Royale
Sat. April 8 – Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern – SOLD OUT
Sun. April 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
Tue. April 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Wed. April 12 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
Fri. April 14 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Sat. April 15 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall
Sun. April 16 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
Tue. April 18 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
Wed. April 19 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
Fri. April 21 – Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall
Sat. April 22 – Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Sun. April 23 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Tue. April 25 – Denver, CO @ The Gothic Theatre
Fri. April 28 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
Sat. April 29 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
Wed. May 3 – San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
Fri. May 5 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
Sat. May 6 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriet’s
Sun. May 21 – Guadalajara, MX @ Corona Capital
Sat. May 27 – Hamburg, DE @ Nochtspeicher
Mon. May 29 – Cologne, DE @ Stadtgarten
Wed. 31 May – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
Thu. 1 June – Dublin, IE @ Whelan’s
Sat. 3 June – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
Sun. 4 June – Bristol, UK @ Exchange
Mon, 5 June – London, UK @ HEAVEN
Wed. June 7 – Brighton, UK @ Patterns
Sat. June 10 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Bogen F
Tue. June 13 – Brussels, BE @ AB
Wed. June 14 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso (Upstairs)
Fri. June 16 – Paris, FR @ La Hasard Ludique
Sat. June 17 – Mannheim, DE @ Maifeld Derby
Sun. June 18 – Duisburg, DE @ Traumzeit Festival
Words: Steven Ward
Listen to the new single “The Doldrums” from Caroline Rose below!
