Cover Girls, Vol. 19

Rosie Thomas
These Friends Of Mine

Hopefully, many of you are familiar with Rosie Thomas. Her sweet, affecting songwriting style has spanned four solo albums since 2002, with her most recent release being These Friends Of Mine, released earlier this year, and on which Thomas serves up two cover songs: Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Songbird’ and the featured ‘The One I Love,’ by R.E.M.. Thomas’ version of the classic R.E.M. song is beautifully soft and fragile, providing a truly captivating interpretation.

Rosie Thomas - The One I Love From the album These Friends Of Mine BUY: iTunes | Amazon

Rose Polenzani
7 Days

I am always intrigued when artists like Rose Polenzani, known for her lyrically rich and evocative folk songs, chooses to cover a song originally delivered in a genre which some would say is 180 degrees from her usual realm. Polenzani does this with R&B superstar, Craig David’s ‘7 Days.’ Polenzani recorded the song roughly four years ago, armed with just an acoustic guitar and her consistently sweet and pleasant voice. Hers is a tremendously successful rendition, bouncing confidently through the fast-paced lyrics without losing a drop of sincerity.

The song (and many other unreleased gems) are made available on Polenzani’s official web site.

Rose Polenzani - 7 Days Unreleased

Melissa McClelland
Stranded In Suburbia

Some fans may know of Melissa McClelland through the Canadian television show, Degrassi: The Next Generation, where her song ‘Rooftop’ appeared on the show’s soundtrack. Others may recognize her as the back-up singer to Sarah McLachlan’s live shows. But for others, this entry might be your introduction.

McClelland is a songwriter who fits well into categories that include artists like Jonatha Brooke and Chantal Kreviazuk. Like them, she possesses a remarkable songwriting talent, but a sense for pop, which brands her ripe for commercial markets.

Her sophomore album, 2003’s Stranded In Suburbia, featured Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Factory,’ a song originally found on his 1978 album, Darkness On The Edge Of Town. McClelland’s version is a clangy, stomp-heavy tribute to the Springsteen classic.

Melissa McClelland - Factory From the album Stranded In Suburbia BUY: iTunes | Amazon

Shaye
The Bridge

Kim Stockwood, Tara MacLean and Damhnait Doyle make up the Canadian trio of Shaye, a largely pop-oriented outfit that was formed as tribute to MacLean’s late sister. Although much better known in Canada (the group has earned a Juno Award nomination), their music is now more accessible with services like iTunes.

On the band’s 2003 debut, The Bridge, one will find them performing a cool and flowing (if not inventive) version of Sinéad Lohan’s ‘No Mermaid.’

For more Shaye, be sure to also check out their 2006 effort, Lake Of Fire, where the girls also cover ‘We Are Water,’ a little-known Patty Griffin gem.

Shaye - No Mermaid From the album The Bridge BUY: iTunes | Amazon