Among the guest list on Mondo Cozmo’s fifth album Sweet Forever is fellow Pennsylvania-reared troubadour Langhorne Slim, a figure who has abetted songwriter Josh Ostrander over the past decade as he’s established his project’s sound. Yet My Morning Jacket’s Jim James also materializes on the track list, despite the two artists not having much of a history together. “Jim’s manager heard the song and sent it to him,” Ostrander explains of the minimal backstory behind the collaboration. “He loved it, sent his vocal in. He’s like, ‘Do whatever you want with it. I’m honored to sing on it,’ and I couldn't believe that.”
What Ostrander wanted for their collaboration on the single “White Roses” just so happened to be exactly what James has excelled at over the past quarter century: a soaring heartland-rock anthem straddling the line between indie rock and Americana. With James’ vocals threaded into his own, the track coasts on the duet as the full-band instrumental swells during the chorus. “[It was] so much fun singing on the super powerfully soaring, rocking ‘White Roses,’” James added.
Check out the track’s music video below, which features a doomed romance between man and mannequin after a lovely day out in NYC. You can also pre-order Mondo Cozmo’s new LP Sweet Forever ahead of its November 20 release via Last Gang here.
