On Roseberry Road, Shelley Posen – a member
of Finest Kind, the Ottawa-based vocal trio known for their exquisite harmonies
– presents a set of 16 well-crafted songs in a variety of styles written over
the past decade-and-a-half.
The album opening title song – named for
the street in suburban Toronto where Shelley spent his early childhood – is
among the highlights. It’s a sweet, lovely and nostalgic reminiscence filled
with personal and very specific memories.
Another is “The Campfire Song,” about
singing around a campfire and the kind of songs that get sung there. I
developed much of my earliest appreciation for folk music from sing-alongs at summer
camp in the 1960s and the song brings back a lot of those memories for me.
A few other favorites include “The Gazebo
on the Oswegatche,” which seems like it could have been a 1920s pop tune; “The
Basket’s Song,” which Shelly sings from the perspective of a basket woven in
1903 as it tells its history from creation to museum exhibit; “Canoeing My
Troubles Away,” a country waltz that celebrates getting away from city life;
and the closer, “Thanks for the Song,” an end-of-the-night farewell after a fulfilling
concert or any kind of gathering for singing and sharing music.
Shelley uses a wide variety of styles on
these songs and each features musicians specifically chosen to bring something
special to it. Just a few of the contributing players include producer Paul
Mills on banjo, guitarist Rick Whitelaw, violinists Anne Lindsay and Mika Posen
(Shelley’s daughter), and bassists Dennis Pendrith and David Woodhead.
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--Mike Regenstreif
