Album Review: Wisdom of the Rose

Judi Cranston’s Wisdom of the Rose is a soft, spiritually charged collection where Cranston seeks to accept her place in the world. All about nature, love and the soul, this record switches Cranston’s sound from the space of children’s music into more of the adult contemporary.

Each song is gentle and calm, focusing on a stripped down style that typically only highlights one to two instruments. The draw is Cranston’s saccharine vocal. It’s immediately apparent on the dreamy opening track I Tread Lightly. She sings in a light, sweet tone that gives the lyrics additional depth and a point of connection for the listener.

However, whilst Cranston’s performance adds a certain charisma to the songs, the writing is unfortunately excessively on the nose. Be Still Great Mother, for instance, cycles through one repetitive melody with subtle line changes, similar to later number I Stand For The Sacred. If the lyrical content adopted a more unique perspective, Cranston could better stand out from the pack. But it is often this genre’s standard to provide classic platitudes and comfort, rather than pushing the listener into considering new ideas. With that in mind, Cranston’s persistent, plain delivery does work well with the growing orchestral dynamics, which build the peaks and valleys into the production rather than the vocal.

Elements connecting the music to nature blossom throughout Wisdom of the Rose, like waves lapping at the shore on Water, Water, Wash Over Me. Modern society only peeks through on songs which highlight their religious undertones more. I Stand For The Sacred features brass instrumentation that calls to the musical communities which build around these ideas of spiritual awakening.

Come Fly with Me stands out for its relaxed beat and warm production. Rich acoustic guitars combined with cozy layered vocals make this track feel noticeably fuller and bright. Similarly, album closer Blessings opts for theatrical piano moments that guide more interesting harmonic choices. “I’m singing blessings / ‘Cause you are loved”, Cranston smiles. It’s a classic lyric, but one that feels like an apt, meaningful conclusion to Cranston’s message. There’s no denying there’s comfort in this type of line when we’re at our lowest.

Whilst Wisdom of the Rose is not necessarily groundbreaking, it doesn’t need to be. Its message is one of finding clarity and a personal way to see the world. Judi Cranston offers peace to those who connect with this style, and with that goal in mind, this project finds success in tranquility.