If Songs Could Be Held

If Songs Could Be Held
Studio album by Rosie Thomas
Released 13 September 2005
Genre Alternative, Indie folk
Length 39:35
Label Sub Pop
Producer Busbee
Rosie Thomas chronology

Only with Laughter Can You Win
(2003)		 If Songs Could Be Held
(2005)		 These Friends of Mine
(2006)

If Songs Could Be Held is the third album by American singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas, released in 2005.

Produced by Busbee, the alum features a duet with Ed Harcourt on "Let It Be Me".[1] The album also features Liz Phair, Dino Meneghin, and Josh Myers.[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [3]
Glide favorable[4]
Paste favorable[5]
Pitchfork Media 5.9/10[6]
Punknews.org [7]
Prefix [8]
The Stranger favorable[2]
tinymixtapes [9]

Allmusic gave the album three and a half stars out of five, with James Christopher Monger calling it "a lovely collection of Sunday morning melancholy that's as gentle as it is weary" and "the most accessible record ever to bear the SubPop insignia".[3] Paste, tinymixtapes, and Punknews.org gave it similar ratings.[5][9][7] Pitchfork Media gave it a 5.9 out of 10 rating.[6] PopMatters gave it 6/10, with David Bernard saying it "sounds amazing".[1]

Prefix writer John Zeiss was less complementary, giving the album 3/10 and calling "a letdown".[8]

Track listing

All songs written by Rosie Thomas unless otherwise stated. All songs arranged by Rosie Thomas and busbee.

  1. "Since You've Been Around" – 3:18
  2. "Pretty Dress" (Thomas/busbee) – 3:56
  3. "Loose Ends" – 3:41
  4. "It Don't Matter to the Sun" (Gordon Kennedy, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Tommy Sims) – 3:40
  5. "Guess It May" (Thomas/busbee) – 4:11
  6. "Let It Be Me" (Gilbert Bécaud, Pierre Leroyer) – 3:40
  7. "Clear as a Bell" – 3:27
  8. "Say What You Want" (Thomas/busbee) – 3:44
  9. "Time Goes Away" (Thomas/busbee) – 3:44
  10. "Death Came and Got Me" – 2:50
  11. "Tomorrow" (Thomas/busbee) – 3:19

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bernard, David (2005) "Rosie Thomas: If Songs Could Be Held", PopMatters, December 14, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "ROSIE THOMAS; If Songs Could Be Held", The Stranger, October 13, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2014  – via HighBeam (subscription required)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Monger, James Christopher. If Songs Could Be Held at AllMusic
  4. ↑ Atkinson, Brian T. (2005) "Rosie Thomas: If Songs Could Be Held", Glide, September 22, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Goldberg, Michael Alan (2005) "Rosie Thomas - If Songs Could Be Held", Paste, October 12, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2014
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Khong, Rachel (2005) "Rosie Thomas If Songs Could Be Held", Pitchfork Media, December 1, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2014
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Rosie Thomas: If Songs Could Be Held", Punknews.org, September 20, 2005. Retrieved January 23, 2014
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Zeiss, John (2006) "Rosie Thomas - If Songs Could Be Held", Prefix, March 6, 2008. Retrieved January 23, 2014
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Rosie Thomas - If Songs Could Be Held", tinymixtapes. Retrieved January 23, 2014