Between Who We Were and Who We’re Becoming: ava rose’s Sophomore Album 'confessions, dreams, & unresolved feelings'
- Stefani M.C. Janelli
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Ava Rose, a Midwest native now rooted in North Carolina, crafts music that feels instantly familiar in the best way. Her sound blends acoustic pop warmth with the intimacy of a true singer-songwriter, pulling from influences like Maggie Rogers, James Bay, and Dean Lewis while staying grounded in her love of honest melodies, expressive guitars, and piano lines that carry real emotional weight. Her latest album, confessions, dreams & unresolved feelings, opens a deeper chapter, tracing a self-reflective path through old wounds, new clarity, and the quiet revelations that finally let you set things down for good.
Ava Rose’s sophomore album, confessions, dreams, & unresolved feelings, reads like the moment you finally stop running from yourself. It’s tender, introspective, and deeply rooted in the messy beauty of growing up, chasing dreams, finding your footing, and learning to make peace with the parts of your past that still tug at you. For Ava, this record marks what she calls “a self-reflective journey of personal discovery,” a chapter filled with clarity, release, and a newfound strength in her artistry.
Early in the album, she leans into a warm, rhythmic groove with “born to dream,” where easygoing instrumentals and stacked vocal layers underline the declaration “i was born to dream/so this is what i call being me.” The confidence is gentle, not loud, more like a reminder whispered to yourself on the days you need it most. That same hopeful spark shows up again in the uplifting rush of “peach tree,” a song that captures both the sting and the sweetness of going after what you want. The line “it hurts the most knowing you left something in the sky” sits at the heart of the album’s emotional arc, an ache familiar to anyone who’s ever feared falling short.
"I want this album to represent that learning who you are and growing from your past experiences is a never-ending process." - Ava Rose
A softer vulnerability blooms in “rose petal,” where Ava reflects on the fragility of wanting to be someone special. Her vocals, distinct and textured, carry lines like “in this big garden, i am simply a little rose petal” with a sincerity that sticks. That introspective honesty deepens in “what’s the meaning of life?”, a standout moment that captures the existential swirl of your twenties. With questions like “is this where i’m meant to be?”, Ava taps into the universal uncertainty of finding your place in a world that often feels too big and too small at the same time.
That sense of longing extends into the heart-tugging “tell the dogs,” where leaving home becomes a quiet heartbreak tucked between mentions of family pets and unspoken goodbyes. And there’s a cinematic and nostalgic warmth to “fading slowly,” a song that plays like a holiday movie unfolding in real time as Ava reconnects with an old high school flame.
When the album edges into heartbreak, it does so with maturity. “mutual blunder” unwraps the end of a relationship with poetic honesty, acknowledging that no one leaves untouched when love unravels: “but no one’s left unscathed in our mutual blunder.” It’s one of the many moments where Ava’s gift for word choice and emotional detail shines.
Everything lands with intention in the closing track, “who i am (outro),” which leaves listeners not with answers but with an open-hearted truth: “i’m still learning how to be who i am/trying to be the best that i can.” It’s a gentle exhale, a reminder that growth is ongoing and that uncertainty is a companion, not a failure.
LONG STORY SHORT: Across confessions, dreams, & unresolved feelings, Ava Rose delivers a record that feels lived in and deeply felt. Her songwriting is thoughtful, her vocals uniquely expressive, and her reflections honest enough to mirror your own. It’s an album for anyone navigating the in-between, holding old dreams in one hand and new versions of themselves in the other.
Stream confessions, dreams, & unresolved feelings below!
Credits
Songwriting, Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Production: Ava Rose Lynch