All too often, 15-track albums are released these days containing only a couple memorable songs, at best, which is one big reason why Maggie Rose’s Dreams >Dollars EP is so refreshing. It’s only five songs long, but each is a certified keeper.
Opener “Too Many Love Songs” speaks to the way love songs can act like salt on the wound whenever you’re trying to get over a bitter breakup. “Wake up and face the music/He ain’t comin’ back,” Rose announces during the song’s bridge. This is a wonderful lyric, in that it’s both literal and figurative. “Body on Fire” is slow burning, yet still steaming love song. “More Dreams Than Dollars” is one of those, ‘Okay, let’s get real!’ songs. Over a keyboard-driven groove, Rose admits to a low-income life where the sofa is worn and has seen better days. However, wealth is more than the size of one’s bank account. Real love counts for so much more.
With “I Won’t,” Rose does her best Miranda Lambert imitation. It’s easy to imagine Lambert singing this lyric about how one girl won’t ever go back to a bad ex. She ends the album with “We’ll Grow Out of It,” a song offering up commentary on our contemporary culture. It’s hopeful, in that Rose believes we can make things better. It’s just a phase, and we’ll eventually grow out of it, she believes. Let’s hope she’s right.
And let’s not forget that Rose sings beautifully and powerfully throughout. But given the high quality of the material, she had good reason to give it her all. Dreams > Dollars is like a music listener’s dream come true.
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