Label: Nettwerk America

Web site: rosiethomas.com

Release Date: March 13, 2007

Rosie Thomas - These Friends of Mine
Matthew Ralph

It just so happens that Rosie Thomas counts as friends many of my favorite musicians and song-writers. Damien Jurado, Jeremy Enigk, Denison Witmer, Sufjan Stevens all have Thomas in common as a friend.

And since this is a project with the same name as Ellen's first television show, all figure into what may be the Seattle singer/songwriter's best effort to date.

How much the brilliant elegance of this record can be attributed to the aforementioned contributors is hard to say. But the muse and the contributions they all provide — Sufjan and Denison factoring in more prominently — is certainly worth noting.

Less the adult contemporary direction her last record started to head toward, "These Friends of Mine" is a bonafied indie-folk record with all of the lo-fi, one or two takes in an apartment with friends sound replacing any calculated pay-by-the-hour studio efficiency.

Simply put, this is Thomas at her best. As she sings the opening lines of the first track "If This City Never Sleeps" she might as well be sitting in your living room blocking the TV.

The influence of Sufjan and Denison is evident throughout the record. Their pranking ways aside — a press release sent to the Sufjan news network at Pitchfork about this record apparently led them to believe Rosie was pregnant with the indie-rock darling — the trio make beautiful music together.

Rosie covers the R.E.M. tune that was once a staple in sit-down Sufjan performances. She also adds her own version of a song Denison has been known to cover — Fleetwood Mac's "Songbird" — and then covers a Witmer song I always thought, good as it is, was a little odd for a guy to be singing. "Paper Doll" sounds as if Denison had in fact written it for Rosie to sing all along. "Tonight I'm like a paper doll, dress me in what you wish I had on and I will not say a thing, I'll just keep smiling." Enigk's subtle backing vocal adds the perfect touch.

"Kite Song" is Rosie at her finest, singing as she plays the piano with a quiet strum of a guitar and some other subtle orchestration slowly fading in and out. "Oh tie me to the end of a kite, so I can go on I can go on with my life," she sings. "Every time the wind blows stronger I will feel my spirit rise. I just want to go away from here."

There aren't too many surprises waiting on this record and for an album with so many contributors nothing over the top. What it boils down to is a, no pun intended, friendly record that celebrates friendship.

posted [02.25.07]

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