Rosie Thomas

Singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas puts her piano-driven, dream pop spin on Christmas classics on A Very Rosie Christmas. Thomas' takes on jingly and jangly Christmas songs are at times upbeat and shimmering as well as measured and mellow. All the while, it's her angelic, honeyed and glassy voice steering this sleigh through the snow.

The most memorable rendition is her reworking of Joni Mitchell's "The River," which is inarguably the saddest and most gutwrenching holiday tune in the history of recorded music! Thomas' version isn't as emotionally weighty or as heartbroken as Mitchell's original and that's probably because Thomas' vocals are a gentler, happier and less matter-of-fact. That said, Thomas does right by the song and does her damnedest to maintain its inherently morose tone. It's like a 2008 update of one of popular music's most revered tracks. The song doesn't appear on too many Christmas compilations, so Thomas surprises listeners with her inclusion of a song that should get more attention for its holiday elements!

Thomas transforms "Winter Wonderland," "Let It Snow" and "Christmas Don't Be Late" into heartwarmers that'll do for your soul what a plate of Santa-shaped cookies or spiced eggnog will do for your palette! Thomas' voice is so restrained and controlled, yet gorgeous and room filling. It's as though she could lull Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen and Rudolph into a sound sleep with A Very Rosie Christmas. Thomas doesn't do much in the way of experimenting with these standards, but then again, when you drift too far from songs that are a part of the fabric of the American holiday experience, you end up with a failed concept and Thomas is careful to toe the line and remain true to the intentions without sacrificing any of her personal style. It's a very Rosie Christmas, indeed.

— Amy Sciarretto
01.08.09

The mesmerizing debut outing of 24-year-old Rosie Thomas tempers folk, country, and alternative rock via sparse arrangements built upon simple acoustic guitar and piano motifs. Like Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, and Paula Cole, Thomas paints vivid pictures with her storytelling prose, especially on "Wedding Day" and "Lorriane," which bemoan the loss of love with an optimistic twist. Documenting the disconsolate pain of separation on "Farewell," Thomas' cracking falsetto punctuates each phrase and whisper until a snippet of childhood soundbites from the artist draws the dirge to a satisfactory conclusion. Her compelling application of legato harmonies on cello to embellish the descending chord progressions of "Run" and "Bicycle Tricycle" displays Thomas' intimate, haunting, and melodic songcraft at its strongest. A fine start for a promising career. ~ Tom Semioli, All Music Guide