Memory’s a tricky thing to hold onto. At the grocery store, you might misplace your list and forget that, 20 minutes ago, you checked the pantry at home and found a near-empty bottle of multivitamins. But cast your mind back ten years, and a certain pang of self-doubt may still linger from an insult you could recite by word. Of course, barring some major dietary shift, grocery lists don’t often add up to much when we look back. But conversations weave themselves into tapestries, tangential narratives that intersect and diverge—so when we remember a brief exchange in the hallway, or a look from across the room, we also think about what happened next, what came before, and the signs that we missed along the way to each.
When Jordan Reynolds played “No. 1” for the first time at the Bakery, I could already imagine why she’d remember this brief chat. She informed us that she’d written a series of these for her next EP as Rose Hotel, based on real conversations from the past. And in this little bossa nova snapshot, as simple and soothing as warm apple cider on a chilly night, we hear the slightest pang of regret as Reynolds catches up with an old friend over the phone. The two haven’t spoken in a while, and clearly the acquaintance has a wedding coming up, which our speaker wouldn’t miss for the world. Yet, in the closing line, she has to add, “Just so you know, I’ve moved on / But still I find myself remembering / Do you remember when?” And while the song ends there, it’s not hard to imagine what could have filled the gap. Memory’s a slippery fish, but as Rose Hotel proves, some scenes come back brighter after others finally fade away.
Rose Hotel will perform on Sun., Nov. 11 at the EARL alongside Esmé Patterson. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance or $12 at the door. 21+ to enter.
More Info
Web: rosehotelmusic.com
Bandcamp: rosehotel.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @rosehotelmusic
Instagram: @rosehotel_
SoundCloud: @rose-hotel
Twitter: @rosehotelmusic