Ruby Dawn – “Blood on Water” | Progressive Rock Central.com

Ruby Dawn has returned and will release their second full album on the 1^st of November. Blood on Water is that amazing second album release, following on the heels of their critically acclaimed debut album, Beyond Tomorrow, from 2023. I really enjoyed Beyond Tomorrow, and it made me an instant Ruby Dawn fan; who has been looking forward to the follow-up, ever since.

But, in case you are new to Ruby Dawn, they are made up of the following members: Carola Baer, who sings lead vocals and plays keyboards; Dave Salsbury, plays lead guitar; Ian Turner, plays bass guitar and additional keyboards; and Adam J. Perry, plays drums. This is their second album, but Ruby Dawn’s members have been playing concert venues, for years.

Blood on Water opens up with a gigantic hit, “Juliet”. The cool, slow grinding guitars in an almost lonely, distant, slow, direction, create a desperate sound. Then, Carola Baer sings, with that Janis Joplin-reminiscent voice. She sounds sad, but full of energy as she sings, “Juliet, I never wanted this mess. I fought them instead. I was blinded by rage. Missed out on your grace”. A song of deep regret, which you can hear in bucketloads, from Carola singing the lyrics. A deep and powerful song to kick off this excellent album. Dave Salsbury’s heavy electric lead guitar solos are immaculate. Off to a convincing start!

“Arms of Love”, is another full of emotion, powerhouse from Ruby Dawn. Carola opens it with vocal vibrations, along with strings, and then they add deep piano. Carola sings, “Wish I had a home. Cold on the street. Rather be in the arms of love, than in those of war”. More masterful guitar from Salsbury, then Carola sings, “We speak many languages, but there’s only one, we all hear and feel the same. Come to the table of solutions”. A crying out to the world to sit down and hear each other’s perspectives and try to work things out, rather than kill each other. A powerful anti-war song, full of desperation for the arms of love.

I heard an earlier version of “Alice Come Home”, a while back, thanks to Carola Baer. At that time, it looked like that was going to be the theme of the album. It is one of the strongest songs on the album. Carola sings about the famous Alice from the Wonderland. She sings, “The minds a cave, we’re synced to the same. It’s a wild probability that we’re down a rabbit hole upside down. Never will I understand all of this. All the pain and you still don’t know Alice. Make your way home. The rivers have gone. You can’t live there anymore. Alice, come home!” A powerful statement about the state of our world and maybe global warming at the same time.

“Blood on Water”, is the title track, and also one of the most powerful songs on the album. The song opens with powerful drums, keyboards, bass and powerful lead electric guitar. Carola, really draws your heart close with her singing these lines, “I need, I need, I need more peace. Say it, I need, I need, more love. Don’t fall from grace”. She sings, “Connect to the light of life. Leave the apple where it is”. Then Salsbury absolutely electrifies the soundscape with a blistering lead guitar solo.

“Social Disaster”, is full of keyboards and deep bass, at its opening. Carola sings positively, “Celebrate and do not waste this, take pride in love and celebrate the life of the living”. A very strong statement for all, to heed, in these sometimes wicked times, filled with war, violence, and eternal arguing.

“Easy Feels”, opens with some very cool programming, keyboards and orchestration. Then, Carola’s deep, emotional voice sings, “Cold faces and class of steel. Gowned in privileged, you say I deserve my fate. Isn’t it an awful thing to do, to be cruel?” Another tough song for tough times.

“Chronicles of a Celestial Soul”, opens with deep piano keys, eerie orchestration and programming, and then Carola’s best vocals, so far. She sings, “Take us back where it started. Long before this reality. Tied down in the day and crazed by night”. Great drums on this track. Some of the best on the album. Later, Carola sings, “Where is justice? Where is heart?” Her voice forces you to try to answer these questions mentally. Thought-provoking lyrics, throughout this song and album. At over 8 minutes, it is the longest track on the album. Its lyrics stay with you long after the song ends.

“Maker of Me”, has a wonderful soft keyboard opening with a stringed chorus of orchestrated violin in support. Carola sings, “Come on, stand, close to me. Maker of me what have you made, that you keep a dark veil over it, and hang it over me?”

“Run Rabbit”, is another beautiful song, full of loving lyrics, sung with emotion from Carola, “Would have walked with you all over the mountain. Would have walked with you all over the world”. Later she sings, “Run rabbit. In your garden, that once shines for both of us”.

“Nothing Left to Say”, opens with beautiful piano and soft strings and orchestration. Carola, almost starts this one off with a whisper. She sings, “That’s why I have to say, seems I can’t get away from you. I close my eyes” The guitar solos are magnificent, as is the support from the bass guitar playing. One of Carola’s best vocal performances on the album.

The closer, “This Garden”, opens with beautiful piano, and Carola singing as if she is right next to you. She sings, “There was a time on Earth. Gardens ran across the land. All over, beauty and greenness everywhere. You could stand on a hill. Stand and just feel the air and wind blow your hair. This would be felt as strength, power to the universe”. What a wonderful and important observation and fact. It is another of the best songs on the album. Full of its own power within the lyrics and the fully charged rising voice of Carola.

Blood on Water is an excellent follow-up to Beyond Tomorrow. Ruby Dawn has successfully navigated the sophomore album to produce another album of powerful feelings and emotions that reach out to us, for change. The desire to bring back empathy and feeling, to a world that at times feels devoid of all caring. Carola’s vocals cry for us to warmly wrap our arms around each other and comfort the world from all the pain that fills it. This music is what you need to help remind you of what some people still believe is possible. In the end, Carola and Ruby Dawn, ask us to help take the blood from the water, and relieve the plight of this world, of violence and indifference. She characterizes it well in her lyrics, in the final song, “All over beauty and greenness everywhere. You could stand on a hill. Stand and just feel the air and wind blow your hair. This would be felt as strength, power to the universe”. Get Blood on Water, and be reminded of what it is like to want to feel these emotions again.