Review: Rosie Thomas - These Friends Of Mine

Ever wonder what would happen if Sufjan Stevens took all of his string instruments, attempted to make Seven Swans Part 2 and let a female vocal take control of his music? Well, that sort of sums up the latest release from Rosie Thomas, good friend (rumored to be more than friend) of Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer. Rosie's latest only clocks in at 33 minutes but each one of its ten tracks paints a beautiful landscape of a stranger moving to New York and falling in love (with both the city and a partner).

The songs that make up These Friends Of Mine are simple and perfect. Think Sufjan's 'The Dress Looks Nice On You', as most tracks on this album fall into that type of banjo-influenced pretty 3-minute ditty we've come to love. Sufjan enthusiasts might be familiar with his live cover of REM's 'The One I Love', which is once again tackled on Rosie's album, this time with the two of them singing the classic track side by side. It's a stunning take on the song, and it's immediately followed by my personal favorite track on the LP, 'Much Farther To Go'.

The album includes some witty banter between Suf, Denison and Rosie at the end or beginning of select tracks. While I would usually find this highly distracting, it actually adds to the personal/intimate level this album takes on. In spite of the fact that most of the album was recorded in Sufjan's living room, bedroom and kitchen (it's true!), Rosie's vocals manage to soar, a la last year's Joan As Police Woman's Real Life and Cat Power's The Greatest. A beautiful album, the first beautiful one I've heard this year.

The CD itself will be in stores in March, but you can download the album now at iTunes. Or, you can pre-order the album from Awarestore by following this link. If you pre-order, the first 300 purchases will receive 'a Kite magnet, hand-made by Rosie herself'. Can't beat that! Do it!