Rose Cousins is glowing. Sipping on a coffee one wet Halifax
morning, her bright eyes—despite the early hour—and warm smile tell
the story of her last three years as a full-time musician, even before
she opens her mouth to speak.
“Since I’ve released my last CD I almost feel like the three years
has been a university degree in how to be a working musician,” she
says. While being on the road and self-promoting had its lows, nothing
about Cousins’ outlook suggests anything but forward momentum.
Cousins’ second full-length album, The Send Off, is what
marks the maturity of the local musician’s journey. Cousins’ gorgeous
voice fills each track with a sense of longing that will likely have
you sitting on the floor crying.
“I’ve always been a fan of music that evokes some kind of emotion,”
says Cousins, explaining she’s not in a sad place performing her newest
work. “The Send Off is about letting go; all the things you try
to let go of or you don’t let go of, and how easy it makes things if
you do and how hard it is to do it.” Cousins adds that she feels you
have to let some things go in order to move forward; this album is her
step forward.
The title track is what started Cousins’ road to letting go, a song
that says goodbye to Grandma Cousins.
“She was the first person I lost that had been in my life for, well,
ever. For all of my ever so far,” says Cousins. The slow, almost
haunting song evolves into a more produced and fuller sound, suggesting
a celebration of life instead of a focus on death.
It’s not all sad reflection. Cousins wrote the song “Celebrate” for
her best friend’s wedding, a catchy tune that ends each sentence with a
rhyme for “celebrate.” While the lyrics include words such as “fish
bait” and “uncomplicate,” Cousins admitted at a Deep Roots Festival
performance that not all the rhymes were PG. She left those ones
out.
Cousins’ album isn’t only about letting go; it’s also strongly
rooted in collaboration. Luke Doucet produced The Send Off, a
detail Cousins can’t be more excited about. “We were having a beer one
night after one of the shows in Toronto and he just said, ‘I’d really
love to produce something of yours someday,'” says Cousins. “I was
throwing up in my mouth I was so flattered.”
Local musicians such as David Myles, Don Brownrigg and Jenn Grant
can be heard on the album, as well as Tom Wilson (Blackie and the Rodeo
Kings), Melissa McLelland and Kathleen Edwards from Ontario, where the
CD was recorded.
“My favourite thing is collaborating with people,” says Cousins. “I
get overwhelmed with the amazingness of people helping me.”
With the strength of her newest album, it sounds like Cousins is
going to be overwhelmed with amazingness for a long time coming.
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This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2009.
Rose Cousins is AWESOME. She blows away everything that’s come through this province this year. EVERYBODY.
Rose Cousins is one of the greatest songwriters and performers to have surfaced in a long, long time. Her music hits you like a knife to the heart and everyone, everywhere- and no matter what your musical preference- can relate. Truly amazing.
What a great find is Rose Cousins – to miss so many awesome singers, songwriters and performers is almost a given, but to find one who affects you in ways that you were not expecting is a joy. I haven’t felt so strongly about a collection of songs such as those on The Send-Off since I heard the second Iris Dement album. And that is about the highest praise I can give it!