Song of the Day: Rose Elinor Dougall - Colour of Water

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “Coulor of Water” by Rose Elinor Dougall, from her 2017 album, Stellular on Vermilion Records.Rose Elinor Dougall - Colour of Water (MP3)It's been seven years since we've been greeted with the pop saliency of London wunderkind Rose Elinor Dougall's solo project, but now we have her '80's-friendly 2017 sophomore album, Stellular. Her 2010 LP, Without Why, debuted the same year her UK chart-topping colleague Mark Ronson's (now known for "Uptown Funk") Record Collection came out, on which Dougall performed on several songs. But even before she got hooked up with Ronson and his production prowess, 2003-era Rose Elinor Dougall found herself in the limelight much earlier in her career as a teen existing as one of original singers of the pop group sensation The Pipettes (known as "Rosay"). The industry-rich exposure that Dougall has spent steeped in the music industry and collaborating with groove giants has inevitably given her the ability to chisel her way into crafting her own crowd-charming magic.

Rose Elinor Dougall's latest magic comes to us in the form of her poppy dance-wave collections on Stellular, including the aura-awash "Colour of Water," which acts as the opener for the twelve-track album. This at-times-shiny-and-times-shadowy song harks back to connotations of Madonna's best-of allure, St. Vincent's goth-pop cloudiness, and Blondie's excitable grooves. One of the noticeable pleasures is the wave of bright guitar riff that sinusoidally falls in and out of the undulating waves of the vocal melody during the most upbeat parts of the five-minute vignette. In the bridges, a keyboard riff steps in creating an ascending effect amongst the already heavenly backdrop throughout the song. "Colour of Water" is an easy one to add into your rotation of new music for the week.

Rose Elinor Dougall has a handful of UK shows coming up in April to follow up the release of Stellular, but there are no dates yet for the U.S. When there are, you can be sure to find them on her Facebook page. For now, enjoy the music video for her Madonna-vibing title track of Stellular below.