Sixpence None the Richer - Rosemary Hill - EP
by Emmery Clements
If there’s a band that I frequently forget and yet simultaneously love, it’s Sixpence None the Richer. Granted, “Kiss Me” has been on my playlists since the first time I saw She’s All That, but my appreciation of the alternative rock band can not and should not be reduced to a single song. Rosemary Hill, whose cover art I could stare at for hours, emphasizes the comfort found in their instrumentals and the poetry of their lyrics, even if the organization of the EP and repetitive song structure break the spell.
“Thread the Needle” is the perfect opening track; the subtle, hard-right-panned synth emphasizes the acoustic guitar in the first verse and smoothly develops into the chorus’s electric guitar. While synths have often been improperly included in other recent releases, Sixpence None the Richer specializes in balance. The drum groove is just simple enough to allow Leigh Nash’s vocals to soar, quite literally threading the needle between over-the-top and underwhelming. The instrumental build that breaks into pure acoustics allows the final chorus to hit hard without overpowering. The track feels like an anxious conversation with a friend in the search for a perfect middle ground. It’s in the battle between familiarity and innovation that my love for “Thread the Needle” originates.
Adding yet another song to the world named “Julia,” the second track transports me into ‘90s indie rock. I imagine myself on the set of Gilmore Girls, perhaps a fitting image for a band known for a cover of The La’s “There She Goes.” “We Are Love” uses a minor key to set a post-apocalyptic scene and trigger my existential angst. The chorus’s statement “We’re a chain, you can’t break it,” clarifies why Fleetwood Mac unconsciously seeps into my brain. The darker tone of the track and the presence of a lyrical bridge differentiate “We Are Love” from the rest of the record. The haunting guitar strum slowly adds vocal layers and is a beautiful addition and transition into the chorus. The outro feels so satisfying in the context of the track, if a little (very) long. It does, however, allow for one of the only transitions on the record that I actually enjoy. The extended ending to “We Are Love” blends into the slow start to “Child and Man” and juxtaposes the intensity of the lyrics. While the track does limit both instrumental and lyrical development through the verses and first choruses, the overall simplicity is fitting. The chorus’s slight intensity quickly, yet gracefully, drops back to the strings and guitar for the second verse. Back from the formulaic break, “Child and Man” loses my focus in its predictability.
“Homeland” brings a stark and welcome change. It seems the band is reflecting on their journey out of their Texas origin story, singing “In my homeland, once a child of the Texas hills.” The track is a love letter to existence. As you listen to the intertwining guitars that lift Nash’s voice, you understand the band’s roots as a Christian rock group. The final and titular track, “Rosemary Hill,” is full of a more cynical reminiscence desiring a return to youthful naivete. The electric notes sting against the orchestral strings of the pre-choruses that send the listener to a dandelion-blanketed hill, running freely through the ascending chorus. The outro breaks down the song into its parts, drums softened against the guitar and cello in a way that signals a welcome return to childhood simplicity.
The record isn’t perfect, nor is it entirely unique. Yet, it feels like returning to your hometown; you’re not quite sure if things will be different or strange, but it is comfortable in its predictability. Sixpence None the Richer has an incredible ability to tell stories in imagery and metaphors that allow interpretation no matter who is listening or when. While I haven’t been back to my hometown in almost a year, Rosemary Hill took me home.