Upstairs in LEAF tea shop, the night was set with multi-coloured
light bulbs across the ceiling and the audience sitting around tables and
benches with tiny tea lights. The mood was relaxed and mellow as Blue Rose Code
aka Ross Wilson took to the stage to perform with his band last Wednesday.
Blue Rose Code originally hails from Edinburgh and
has seeped into public conscious with the release of his first album North Ten. Last year, his profile was
boosted with the help of BBC Introducing.
Wilson’s talent as a singer- songwriter is
undeniable. Whether he sings about love
in ‘Skin and Bones’, forgiveness ‘Edina’
or where he grew up in ‘Ghosts of Leith’, he did so in a way which captivated
the audience, as they were struck by the stories he told with a great deal of
poignancy and emotion.
While Blue Rose Code adamantly denies that he writes
folk music, he is certainly influence by it, as we hear on tracks such as ‘Silent
Drums’ with Wilson on guitar and the pangs of John Parker’s double bass. Even
so, Wilson told us that he veered from this, when he went to Nashville, as part
of the BBC Introducing showcase. The audience heard what he produced which was
the country inspired, slightly Mumford and Sons-esque ‘Right to Be Happy’ and
featured Matthew Boulter.
One of the standouts was the new single ‘One Day At
A Time’ taken from his second album Ballads
of Peckham Rye. This is touching song, which referenced his past struggles with
addiction and how that came to affect his relationship. Samantha Whates’
background vocals complimented Wilson’s sincerity perfectly.
Blue Rose Code will undoubtedly go from strength to
strength as this set proved. His last song was an ironic take on one of his
tracks, so it became ‘This Is Not A Folk Song’ telling us that whatever he
sings doesn’t matter. But, that was it, it did. His songs were from the heart,
immersive and moving. A fantastic talent and without a doubt, one to watch.
