A stirring debut shaped by survival and self-discovery, Songs From A Secret Room finds Colorado-based singer-songwriter Chris Rusin transforming a period of profound adversity into compelling artistry. Written after losing — and ultimately regaining — his voice during chemotherapy, the album reflects the renewal that comes from confronting fragility and rediscovering purpose. Joined by Katie Wise and a talented ensemble of Colorado musicians, Rusin channels his experience into an affecting blend of folk and Americana.
Amongst the album’s many highlights, “Flower” weaves a heartrending vocal duet — comprising Rusin and Wise — with memorable instrumentation, spanning from pedal steel to cello. “Now I’m aiming to hold you, but I feel out of range,” they let out, pairing palpable yearning with acknowledgements of change. “I held you like a flower,” they continue into a soaring chorus, depicting winter’s barren terrain though with one’s beautiful, flower-like state shining through it all. Strings enter the mix as the vocals continue to immerse, artfully capturing the strength to find love despite life’s obstacles.
The quality songwriting also shows on the “Cinders,” channeling a more solemn folk mystique as the harmonious vocal layering furthers its precision. Wise’s magnetic vocal accompaniments, adding a mixture of serene and ardency, bolster Rusin’s steady tone with spine-tingling qualities. “Still I turn to you,” he sings, quickly bolstered by Wise’s “the path I did not take” chilliness. “We’re burned by the cinders,” they then combine, invigorating with reflections of love’s tendency to leave its participants burned.
Also enamoring is “Time to Love,” a tender success that’s especially personal in conveying Rusin’s thought process during an especially difficult Christmas — with chemotherapy and recovery on his mind. As he watches his children sleep restfully and appreciates his life as it is, he sings “we’re so close to being happy” — showing how the threat of cancer looms large, even during moments of bliss. Expressions of being back home, with frozen landscapes around, pair with a lonesome state — using train imagery and “used to dream” sentiments to ruminate on both the past and the striving to be optimistic about an uncertain future. “I used to dream of love I’d find in time, now I dream of finding time to love,” he sings, eloquently capturing how time feels even more finite when confronted with health-related hardships.
Rusin’s penchant for riveting songwriting continues consistently throughout. “The Dark” envelops in its lyrical prowess, interchanging dark walks of uncertainty with more optimistic “step into the light” aura. Heart-tugging strings and the duet-ing vocals stir in positioning love as a reason to cherish life and keep fighting, while acknowledging the potential of it growing cold. “I lost you to the dark in the end. You were my best friend,” they lament, exuding a state of things being over — even as both hope for it to keep going.
Another standout comes via album finale “Fighting For,” a piano-set balladry that ponders both renewal and overcoming, feeling like a cathartic send-off to an album that compels in its themes of perseverance and love, as both vocalists proclaim “the only thing worth fighting for is love.” With Songs From A Secret Room, Rusin enthralls with his consuming songwriting — turning experiences of pain, perseverance, and love into a wholly memorable output.
