According to established protocol, jazz has composers, and soul music songwriters. Yet the link between the two is melody, and certainly in the case of what might pass as jazz-informed soul, a desire to write chord changes that challenge as much as they comfort. For the bulk of this ornate and earthy sophomore release from the vocalist-guitarist born in Sonkoe, Cameroon and based in Rotterdam, Holland, the songs are just that – anything but facile. ‘Secret Waters’ is a ballad whose brilliant nuance is provided by subtle but resonant strings; ‘Made’ is a superlative duet between Rosie and guitarist Reinier Bas in which the latter’s wry, eerie arpeggios vividly underline the devotional lyric: ‘Live And Learn’ is bolstered by fabulously stealthy horns; the title track has the kind of gripping, dramatic shift from minor to major key that defines some of the highlights of latin music (think ‘Bésame Mucho’). In short, if this is pop, then it leans heavily to the art world and is executed with the kind of attention to detail on which the most ‘serious’ musicians pride themselves. This makes perfect sense given the fact that Rosie studied at Codarts in Rotterdam and obviously harbours the ambitions of a songwriter, or indeed composer, intent on creating a lasting oeuvre. Rock and African influences surface more explicitly on several pieces, but for the most part this brave, original music stands in the lineage of inspired musical unions – Tuck Andress and Patti Cathcart; Suzanne Vega and Marc Shulman; Meshell Ndegeocello and Allen Cato – in which artists push the envelop all the while maintaining narrative clarity. It is a valuable balance to strike.