The title track, Gamble for a Rose, has been released as the single off King Charles’ soon to be released album. It is best described as a ballad and differs from anything that Charles has offered listeners before. It is slow in tempo and combines guitar and vocal elements to create a song with depth and interest. Gamble for a Rose does this with melodious acoustic guitar accompaniment, a fresh electric instrumental and the subtle inclusion of dreamy keys in the song. The song opens with delicate keys and an acoustic style, repetitive guitar melody. Enter: King Charles’ characteristically strong, sincere vocal. As the song moves into the chorus, listeners may be reminded of rock ballads of the 80’s and 90’s. The song has a classic feel and is certainly catchy. It has a slow and steady beat and incorporates choral harmonies more and more as the song progresses.
Lyrically, the song’s best and most repeated line is, “With your hand in my hand, I may be battered, but I will never be broke”. The song has a wonderful depth to it and it is exciting to see what Gamble for a Rose will have to offer us. In light of Change for the Boatman, it appears that Charles will be accessing a darker range of emotion than in LoveBlood. This means that those who look to King Charles for feel good tracks will need to look elsewhere, but it also means that we may expect a new level of depth and maturity in Change for the Boatman. Either way, I’m excited about where this artist will take us in 2016.
