Rosie Thomas "With Love" (Sing-A-Long)

Over the past decade and a half, Rosie Thomas has quietly released some wonderful records of introspective folk and singer-songwriter pop. Though she’s never reached the justifiable level of acclaim deserving of the quality of her work, she’s never compromised her muse, either; hence, the career as a writer, a stand-up comedian, a touring musician, and collaborator with others, most notably Iron and Wine and Sufjan Stevens. With Love, her latest offering, is special—as all of her records are special. With Love, however, deals with love in all its forms—painful, jubilant, ecstatic, infuriating, and all points in between—out in the open, in a confessional manner, with no question to be had about her meaning. “Straightforward love songs” may be a dangerous sell, but in the hands of a masterful songwriter like Thomas, the most basic feelings and longings of life are made universal and enjoyable. It doesn’t hurt that her voice is extremely easy on the ears, nor does it hurt that she understands that programming is important, too; love ballad followed by love ballad followed by love ballad is a quick way to put the listener to sleep. So you’ll find a jaunty little pop number (“Over the Moon”) followed by a country ballad (“In Time”), with songs both minimal in arrangement (“Like Wildflowers”) to ones with complex harmonies and orchestral backing (“Really Long Year”). There’s plenty of love to be loved, and With Love is a fine collection that covers all the bases.