Album Review: King Charles - Gamble For A Rose

Almost four years after his first album LoveBlood, British musician Charles Costa has returned with the polar opposite of his debut.

Featuring songs like the award-winning Love Lust, Costa's initial effort was immediately notable for its playful theatricality and nimble songwriting. Thematically, Gamble For A Rose couldn't be further from this sunny disposition. "I'll chase you out just like I chased you in," he sings on Bright Thing, which is perhaps his greatest moment of clarity among the wreckage here. This album is the sound of a break-up that is still happening in slow motion, with none of the closure or hindsight that would usually serve to create a more interesting narrative.