AS BLUE Roses, she recorded piano based songs which had the shifting tonal qualities and structures of classical music, and over which her voice danced beautifully.
In the 11 years since that self titled debut album as Blue Roses emerged, Groves has abandoned that moniker and recorded music under her own name. Her work has also shifted from folk/classical piano ballads to indie/electro, with synthesisers and electric guitar dominating, with an even greater emphasis on atmospherics.
The opening tracks on this EP, the eighties sounding 'Infinite Wisdom' and 'Foolish Game' show how her songwriting has become slicker, more structured, the vocal lines and melodies more focussed, but her music still remains in the art-pop category. 'Faking It' clearly shows Groves is an admirer of the ambient Kosmische Music strand of the defiantly avant grade Krautrock genre.
Yet her previous Blue Roses incarnation has not been completely abandoned. That same Kate Bush-like (and when is Kate Bush never a good influence to have? ) sense of melody - haunting, meandering, eerie, and beguiling, is clear on 'Red', one of the highlights of the EP.
An indication of where she has been, and where she may be going. Grove's future releases could be worth keeping an eye on.
