„This is the most fun I’ve had making a record since I first started out ... I Think you can hear that in the record.“ (Kim Richey)

"Nashville's loss is Kim Richey's gain. Though she has written chart-topping hits for Radney Foster and Trisha Yearwood and pursued a recording career on the fringes of the country mainstream, her fourth and best album sounds like a fresh start. It certainly doesn't sound like contemporary country, as the artist and producer Bill Bottrell (who helmed similarly creative breakthroughs by Sheryl Crow and Shelby Lynne) collaborate on a sensually bluesy song cycle that shows a determination to defy categorization, follow its own musical dictates, and find its own audience. The album-opening "Girl in a Car" sounds like it could have been a highlight for Lucinda Williams, while the languid atmospherics of "Fading," "Without You," and "Reel Me In" have a seductive intimacy that is equal parts torch song and lullaby. From the Wurlitzer organ on "The Circus Song" to the bouzouki that lends an Eastern tinge to "This Love" and "Electric Green" (the latter written and sung with Pete Droge), the stripped-down arrangements accent the freshness of the material." (Don McLeese)

"Townes Van Zandt-Tribute-Album mit einer Artisten-Riege, die nur noch schlichtes Erschauern zuläßt. Viele oder fast alle der Beteiligten waren Freunde von Townes, die sicher so manches Glas mit ihm getrunken haben. Und diese Intimität spürt man hier in jeder Sekunde. Jeder gibt sein Bestes, jeder weiß um die Klasse des Ursprungsmaterials und jeder wußte, das die Liste der Tributanten erfurchteinflößend ist. So kommen hier wahrlich magische Momente zustande, vorwiegend ruhig und sparsam vorgetragen (einzig Billy Joe Shaver gibt richtig Gas), um den exquisiten Liedern Raum zur Entfaltung zu geben. Hervorheben darf man keinen, nicht einmal der von No Depression Mag neulich noch in der Luft zerfetzte Pat Haney leistet sich einen Ausrutscher. Insgesamt ein ganz exzellentes Tribut." (Glitterhouse)

Norah Jones's debut on Blue Note is a mellow, acoustic pop affair with soul and country overtones, immaculately produced by the great Arif Mardin. (It's pretty much an open secret that the 22-year-old vocalist and pianist is the daughter of Ravi Shankar.) Jones is not quite a jazz singer, but she is joined by some highly regarded jazz talent: guitarists Adam Levy, Adam Rogers, Tony Scherr, Bill Frisell, and Kevin Breit; drummers Brian Blade, Dan Rieser, and Kenny Wolleson; organist Sam Yahel; accordionist Rob Burger; and violinist Jenny Scheinman. Her regular guitarist and bassist, Jesse Harris and Lee Alexander, respectively, play on every track and also serve as the chief songwriters. Both have a gift for melody, simple yet elegant progressions, and evocative lyrics. (Harris made an intriguing guest appearance on Seamus Blake's Stranger Things Have Happened.) Jones, for her part, wrote the title track and the pretty but slightly restless "Nightingale." She also includes convincing readings of Hank Williams's "Cold Cold Heart," J.D. Loudermilk's "Turn Me On," and Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You." There's a touch of Rickie Lee Jones in Jones's voice, a touch of Bonnie Raitt in the arrangements; her youth and her piano skills could lead one to call her an Alicia Keys for grown-ups. While the mood of this record stagnates after a few songs, it does give a strong indication of Jones' alluring talents" (David R. Adler, All Music Guide)

"Guitar Pop/Rock/Country Rock ... 4. Album der bislang immer überragenden Band aus Chicago um das begnadete Songwriter/Gesangs/Ehepaar Steve Dawson & Diane Christiansen und drei weitere hochtalentierte Bandmitglieder. Beseelter Mix aus den o.g. Richtungen mit den besten Referenzen von Nadine, Tarnation, Scud Mountain Boys, Whiskeytown, Jolene und Picketts. (Phasenweise erinnert ihr traumhaft sicheres Zusammenwirken sogar an die Continental Drifters!) Dieser von mir anläßlich des ebenso fabelhaften Vorgängers 'The Dumbest Magnets' (2000) geäußerte "Verdacht" verstärkt sich hier geradezu enorm - besonders der leidenschaftliche, vielstimmige Harmoniegesang mit gleichermaßen Country und Soul in den Stimmbändern scheint derzeit konkurrenzlos. 'Forgiven Now' wurde wieder in Nashville von Brad Jones (s.a. Steve Forbert, Haynes Boys, Tommy Womack, Bill Lloyd, Ass Ponys, Josh Rouse...) produziert, der dem stark vokal- und saitenlastigen Quintett eine satte Bodenhaftung verpaßt. Alle 11 Nummern (plus Hidden Track) sind eigene, darunter wahre Perlen des Genres! Der berühmte Al Perkins setzt einige Glanzpunkte mit der Pedal Steel, aber es ist die Qualität der gesamten Produktion, die einen so verblüfft. Eine sichere Bank für meine Top 10-Liste des Jahres!!" (Glitterhouse)

"The inescapable crowd-pleaser is the heady, gently-goosing "What Would Willie Do?"-a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek canonization of the Lone Star State's favorite hemp-tokin' picnic host. Even the most humorless (if such a creature exists) Nelson fan will recognize the head-shaking admiration behind the playful digs, and will be joining in on the chorus before the first play is over. If this ain't a hit, we all gotta consider relocating to another planet.Apart from that gem of inspired silliness, Robison runs the gamut of country styles on Country Sunshine, including some beautiful co-writes with Allison Moorer ("Can't Get There From Here"), Dixie Chick Marty Seidel ("Anyone But Me"), and Sean Michaels ("Bed Of Ashes"). Bruce and wife Kelly Willis team up on the wrenching "Friendless Marriage," a classic pull-out-the-stops tear jerker a la George & Tammy, Conway & Loretta or Gram & Emmylou.
Interestingly enough, it was Music City's current penchant for the "arena rock" drum sound which ultimately led to the cozy, classic country vibe found on Country Sunshine. "I'd had it all set up about how I was gonna do this record with Sony," said Austin-based Robison, "and then, when I decided to leave them, I kinda had to come up with a Plan B. The records weren't sounding like I wanted them to--the records in Nashville were all sounding like English rock records, ya know? Once we'd get to the point of cutting vocals, I'd be screamin', and I didn't even know why."
A casual inventory of Bruce's favorite records kept turning up the name of veteran session drummer Kenny Malone, "and so I called him, and I said, Kenny, you don't know me, but I'm a songwriter from Texas, and you played on all the records that I loved the sound of--Don Williams, Crystal Gayle, Waylon Jennings. I need your help.' And he said, 'Get this studio, call these guys, and we'll all go in there and we'll cut it'. And that's just what we did..."
'This studio' was Jack Clement's funky, vintage Cowboy Arms Hotel And Recording Spa; 'these guys' were a blue-ribbon group made up of Malone, master of all-things-stringed Dan Dugmore (Linda Ronstadt, Warren Zevon, etc.), stand-up bassist Dennis Crouch, pianist Pete Wasner, organist Ian McLagan (Faces, Rolling Stones) and ace harmonicat Mickey Raphael (yikes!--what will Willie do?...). Singers Kelly Willis and Amy Noelle Farris lent their voices and helped keep the room from getting too ugly
The result, not coincidentally, is a casual groove reminiscent of the great Don Williams, especially on such tracks as "Blame It On Me," "Tonight" and "Anyone But Me." "Don has always been a huge influence on me," Robison admitted. "My dad listened to his 8-tracks constantly when I was a kid, and I've been looking for that sound. Kind of easy-going, but well-crafted, and they moved along nicely, too--real intimate, real dry. 'Intimate' was the word that I was using with all of these guys, and they understood, because by the time we got to cutting the vocals, I could almost whisper them, like Don used to do.
"I've played with a lot of A-list drummers," he continued, "a ton of drummers--and Kenny is the first guy in 15 years who listened to the lyrics and asked what the song was about before we cut it. I really felt like he was crafting the whole feel of it to suit whatever I was trying to say. That seems like such a simple thing, but nobody does it." (von Bruce's Website: "www.brucerobison.com")

by Michael Berick

A consummate Nashville songwriter, Jim Lauderdale has penned hits for folks like George Strait and Patty Loveless over the years, but he has long been underappreciated as a solo artist. One of Lauderdale's songwriting strengths is to craft seemingly simple tunes set around smart but not excessively clever lyrics, and several songs here serve as excellent case studies. On "Morning," he uses the start of the day as a metaphor to gently suggest the possibilities life holds that often slip by "as the afternoon pulls you away." The twangy, jazz-flavored "It's a Trap" utilizes the games cats and mice play to discuss human relationships. The title track, one of the disc's crowning glories, uses hummingbird imagery in a story of love renewed. Lauderdale's voice, while perhaps not slick enough for music row, is full of character and warmth. He can give a suitably rough edge to rocking honky tonk numbers like "There and Back Again" and "Rollin' the Dice," while also projecting a poignancy in the bittersweet ballads "I'm Happiest When I'm Moving" and "I Know Better Now." The disc's bluegrass-flavored closing cut, "New Cascade," creates a natural segue to his Ralph Stanley collaboration, Lost in the Lonesome Pines, an album released simultaneously with The Hummingbirds. The song also highlights Lauderdale's hillbilly roots and demonstrates how he effortlessly synthesizes them into a more country-pop sound. It wouldn't be surprising if more than a tune or two off this stellar effort were recorded by other artists (Kelly Willis has already covered "I Know Better Now"), but Lauderdale deserves to have his splendid original renditions recognized and enjoyed for their own impressive merits.

"Eine kleine Sensation war es schon, als 30 Jahre nach dem ersten und einzigen Album ein weiteres Werk der legendäre Band aus Lubbock, Texas angekündigt wurde. Das Singer/Songwriter Dreigestirn Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock und Joe Ely veröffentliche in der Zwischenzeit jede Menge Soloalben, es gab immer mal wieder eine Flatlanders Reunion, aber neues Songmaterial materialisierte sich erstmals auf dem „Horse Whisperer“ Soundtrack. Diesen Sessions und der großzügigen Unterstützung von New West Records verdanken wir jetzt „Now Again“, welches über einen Zeitraum von drei Jahren in Joe Elys Studio entstand.
Das Album beginnt mit einem ganz relaxten „Going Away“ (von Utah Phillips), an das sich mit „Julia“ ein typischer Butch Hancock Song anschließt. Alle weiteren Songs tragen die gemeinsamen Credits der drei Songwriter, aber es ist recht offensichtlich, wer für welche Songs verantwortlich zeichnet, vor allem die Handschrift von Joe (die rockigere Variante) und Butch (das was der Amerikaner „clever wordplay“ nennt) ist deutlich erkennbar. Beide singen auch einige Leadvocals, aber den Löwenanteil bestreitet natürlich der unvergleichliche Tenor des Zen-Cowboys Gilmore, beim Chorus allerdings oft unterstützt von den beiden erdigen Texas-Stimmen der anderen.
Musikalisch bewegt sich das natürlich zwischen Texas-Singer/Songwriting, rootsigem Rock, Twang und Tex-Mex-Border-Feeling, wie nicht anders erwartet auf sehr hohem Niveau. Mit Tony Pearson (Gesang) und Steve Wesson (Gesang und singende Säge) fanden sich zwei weitere Ur-Flatlanders zur Unterstützung im Studio ein." (Glitterhouse)

Ein weiteres Goldstück auf dem Lost Highway. Der Labelname bürgt ohnehin inzwischen für erfreulich auf unserer Linie liegende Qualität und doch, auch hier gibt es immer wieder Überraschungen, die den Hörer verzückt Lächeln machen. Tift Merritt’s Solo-Debut von 2002 zählt zu diesen Erfreulichkeiten. Wer sie von ihrer Zusammenarbeit mit Two-Dollar-Pistol bereits kannte, war wahrscheinlich weniger überrascht und hat mit einem Alternative Country-Juwel zwischen Emmylou und Lucinda gerechnet. Und sieht sich jetzt nicht getäuscht.

Eine feste Band begleitet die zeitlos wertigen Songs, die sämtlich aus Tift’s Feder stammen, wie auf eine Bank kann sich die Autorin dabei auf die zurückhaltend singende Steel Guitar von Greg Reading und das gepflegte, erfahrungsverklärte Keyboardspiel zwischen beruhigendem Piano- und erhebendem Orgeleinsatz von Benmont Tench verlassen. Merritt’s Songs decken fließend die Bandbreite vom Mid-Tempo-Stück über den Leichtfuß-Rocker ab, besonders aber sind es die breiten Balladen, die sowohl Stimme als auch Songwriting-Kunst der Artistin vehement unterstreichen. Ob im zurückgelehnten ¾ Takt wie in Supposed To Make You Happy oder in den großartigen gospelbeeinflussten 6 Minuten von Sunday: Hier geschieht Grosses, das zu berühren weiss.

(Glitterhouse)

Mit dem dritten Bright-Eyes-Album Lifted Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground entfernt sich Conor Oberst so langsam von allem, was gut oder böse ist, und wird genial. Über 73 Minuten schüttet der junge Songwriter sein Herz in einer Weise auf den Tisch, die ihresgleichen sucht und in ihrer Intensität Wunden zu schlagen vermag. Von einer akustischen Klampfe begleitet, bis hin zum kompletten Country-Orchester inklusive Chor, gibt sich Bright Eyes abwechslungsreich wie nie, außerdem ist mit Lifted... mehr musikalischer Schwung eingekehrt.

Nichtsdestotrotz bewegt sich Oberst weiterhin ausschließlich in tiefen Tälern, wobei sich die Texte in ihrem künstlerischen Ausdruck mehr und mehr den ganz Großen der Singer/Songwriter-Szene annähern, dabei ist der Knabe zum Erscheinungszeitpunkt des Albums gerade mal Anfang zwanzig. Würde Oberst im krönenden Abschluss "Let's Not Shit Ourselves" nicht singen: "No, I am not singing for you", man müsste glauben, er trüge unser aller Leiden und -- aber lassen wir das.

(Felix von Vietsch, Aus der Amazon.de-Redaktion)

"Da ist jemand, der uns versteht', sagte eine Freundin zu mir und sprach von Conor Oberst, seines Zeichens Kopf hinter Bright Eyes. Und nun beschert er uns eine neue EP sowie den mittlerweile fünften Longplayer. Die EP "There Is No Beginning To The Story' (eine Anspielung auf den großartigen Albumtrack "Method Acting') bietet neben dem Albumtrack "From A Balance Beam' drei Stücke, die man auf "Lifted' nicht finden wird. Die Besetzung auf beiden Trägern gleicht einem Orchester inklusive Drum-Corps und Bläser. Man mag es kaum glauben, dass diese Stücke der Feder eines 22jährigen entsprungen sind. Und obwohl die Tatsache mal langsam business as usual sein sollte, ist es doch wieder unfassbar, was Oberst dem Hörer präsentiert: 73 Minuten voller Herz- und anderem Schmerz. Noch nie war der Kontrast zwischen Lo-fi-nur-Gitarre-Stimme und bombastisch orchestralen Teilen so ausgeprägt. Noch nie der Kontrast zwischen fragiler Verletzlichkeit und wütender Verzweiflung tiefer. Die Platte beginnt mit dem achtminütigen "The Big Picture'. Man hört, wie eine Frau in ein Auto steigt und eine Kassette einlegt. Auf dieser Kassette die Bright Eyes. Man hört, wie das Auto beschleunigt, die Frau mitsingt und dann, so Obersts Intention, wird man in die Platte gesogen und befindet sich inmitten des Ensembles, inmitten von Bläsern und Streichern. Man findet Stücke, die einsam und alleine beginnen, wie z. B. "Don't Know When, But A Day Is Gonna Come'. Allein durch Gitarre und Stimme wird eine unglaubliche Intensität erzeugt, es wird über den kommenden Tag ohne Mond und ohne Sonne gesungen, um dann durch Bass und weitere Gitarre ergänzt zu werden. Man weiß genau, dass da mehr kommen wird, und nach knapp drei Minuten wird man verschlungen. Verschlungen von Schlagwerk, von Streichern, der enormen Kraft des Ensembles. Mitgerissen durch die Intensität der Musik. "Lifted' ist keine Platte zum Nebenbei-Hören. Man hofft und leidet mit ihrem Protagonisten - auf dem Weg zum Finale, dem zehnminütigen "Let's Not Shit Ourselves'. Dort angekommen, weiß man, dass es gut ist - oder wird, trotz allen Leids. Trotz allem, was einem widerfuhr oder widerfahren wird. Man weiß, dass dort jemand ist, der einen immer noch versteht.

Daniel Decker / Intro

“Lifted, das dritte Album … ist nicht weniger als ein Meisterwerk! Woher bloß nimmt ein 22-jähriger Kerl aus Omaha, Nebraska diese geradezu dylaneske Reife? Diesen an Nick Drake erinnernden Leidensdruck? Die enorme Intensität?“

(TIP Berlin)

"Nur ganz, ganz selten kann ein Nachfolgewerk sowohl von der Qualität als auch von der Atmosphäre her nahtlos an den geliebten Vorgänger anknüpfen – Mit dem 2002er Lost In Space macht die 40-jährige Singer-Songwriterin aber derart exakt dort weiter, wo sie den verliebten Hörer vor 2 Jahren mit Bachelor No. 2 mit einer Träne im Auge zurückliess, dass es eine eine einzige Wiedersehensfreude ist. Dezente Streicher, akustische Gitarren, beatle-eske elektrische Saiten-Melodien begleiten die in ihrer Zurückhaltung zutiefst bewegende Stimme, vor allem aber sind es diese Melodien und Stimmungen, die durch sie entstehen, die dieses rundum reife Folk-Pop-Werk zu einem ganz besonderen Album werden lassen. Dabei wird auch die Frage, welches Album man höher einstufen möchte, letztlich zweitrangig: Hätte man Lost In Space zuerst gehört, wäre die Wahl genauso eindeutig ausgefallen. So kann man sich zuhause ein wunderbares Final-Pop-Doppel-Album zusammenbauen." (Glitterhouse)

It is, in a sense, a trick of the times that Lost in Space conveys such a vivid visual quality; thanks to the high profile given to her music on the Magnolia soundtrack, it's now impossible to miss the narrative strength of Mann's writing. The mood throughout this album is autumnal, with filmy keyboard beds and expressive shifts between major and minor enhancing the subdued eloquence of her lyrics. (A major chord at the end of "Guys Like Me offers an ironic twist on the smug portraiture that precedes it.) Though recorded free of the legal snarls that plagued most of her previous albums, Lost in Space seems to be mainly about alienation and, at least as a metaphor, addiction. The latter point is made clear in "This Is How It Goes," with its assertions that "it's all about drugs, it's all about shame." But it's clear as well when Mann offers to "be your heroine" -- or is it heroin? -- amidst slithering slide guitars and rainy gray textures on "High on Sunday 51," or confesses to seeking salvation where "It's Not." Recorded largely in Ryan Freeland's home studio, some of these songs receive discreet electronic treatments -- moments of abstract noise whose application always enhances the otherwise low-tech arrangements. For all the shadows that stretch across Lost in Space, what lingers in the wake of this music is the realization that Mann remains spectacularly underrated among contemporary songwriters; no one surpasses her as a master of poetic regret, and few albums examine the peculiar beauty of depression with the skill she brings to Lost in Space.

(by Robert L. Doerschuk, All Music Guide)

Zwei Jahre, nachdem Kathryn Williams' zweites Album Little Black Numbers überraschend für den britischen Mercury-Musikpreis nominiert wurde, zeigt die temperamentvolle Sängerin und Songschreiberin mit Old Low Light, dass sie den erfrischenden, sensiblen Folk, der sie auszeichnet, nicht verlernt hat. Old Low Light ist musikalisch so schlicht und textlich so intensiv wie ihre bisherigen Werke; nur sind die Themen oft deutlich ernster.

Doch selbst wenn die Songs von Einsamkeit, Tod und Ähnlichem handeln, wirken die Texte dank Williams' unverkrampfter Art und dank ihrer trockenen Selbstironie charmant. "No One Takes You Home" ist das beste Beispiel: "You've watched all the romance on your television/It's too much to bear, you got to get a new sort of vision/You've done your best at the gym, you got your lip gloss on/You're going to the doctor's to see if it's a medical problem." Zwar verbreitet der Song "Wolf" mit seinem schwermütigen Streicherpart und seinem düsteren Thema -- Williams erinnert sich an ihren obsessiven ersten Partner -- eine bedrückende Atmosphäre, aber insgesamt wirkt Old Low Light gleichermaßen tiefgründig und locker.

Williams wird allzu oft mit der Folklegende Nick Drake verglichen -- dessen kreatives Gitarrenspiel ist praktisch unvergleichlich --, doch sie besitzt tatsächlich ein ähnliches Talent dafür, anrührend schöne, akustisch gespielte Melodien mit melancholisch-nachdenklichen Texten zu verbinden. Old Low Light ist geeignet für einen Abend, den man zu Hause mit einer Flasche Wein verbringt, aber genauso für rasante Überland-Spazierfahrten am Wochenende. Kostbar.

(Christopher Barrett, Amazon.de-Redaktion)

Es gibt kein besseres Seelenbalsam nach einer wilden Nacht als diese Musik. Kathryn Williams singt, als hege und pflege sie eine hochachtungsvolle Scheu vor ihren eigenen Worten, und irgendwo da hinten webt eine gedämpfte Trompete an einem Sehnsuchtsteppich, Akustikbass und -gitarre trippeln vorsichtig durch die Räume, um unserem Katerkopfweh keinesfalls zu nah zu kommen. Die beleibte Folklady aus Newcastle ist nicht nur eine sensible Dichterin am Rande der Menschenscheu, sondern auch ein Pop-Phänomen. Denn eigentlich dürften ihre hauchzarten Songs um das Fühlen in einer Welt, die sich zu wenig um einen kümmert, die Isolation des Mädchenzimmers nicht verlassen, wenn es nach MTV und Viva ginge. Tun sie trotzdem. Und das ist wunderbar - auch nach weniger wilden Nächten.

(Kulturnews)

Thalia Zedek is the kind of artist who is easy to overlook — her work is so consistently strong, so oblivious to trends, and so true to its uniquely grim, world-weary ethos that for better or worse you can check in after a prolonged absence but still know exactly what to expect. The You're a Big Girl Now EP, her second solo effort, continues the haunted, strung-out blues-rock approach Zedek perfected with her band Come, albeit softened by spartan piano and mournful viola accompaniment (courtesy of Victory at Sea's Mel Lederman and the Willard Grant Conspiracy's David Michael Curry, respectively). Highlighting the six-song set are two covers — Bob Dylan's title song and the Velvet Underground's transsexual ode "Candy Says" — that confront themes of gender identity and dislocation with a directness comparable to Zedek's most intimate material; given that her own songs also rely on her raw, gripping vocals to get the message across, she invests in these covers an emotional intensity that the originals never realized, making the songs her own in the process.

(by Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide)

Zweitwerk der jungen Sängerin aus der Hoboken, New Jersey Scene mit einer reinen Country- und Country Rock-ausgerichteten Musik, in der ihre wunderschöne, klare Stimme perfekt zur Geltung kommt. Stilistisch befindet sie sich in der Mitte zwischen dem neo-traditionellen Insurgent Zeug von Kelly Hogan, Catherine Irwin oder Sally Timms und den “größer“ betriebenen Alben von Kelly Willis und Elizabeth Cook. Die mitmachenden Musiker sind u.a. Jon Graboff, Doug Wygal, Produzent und Gitarrist Jay Sherman-Godfrey, Mary Lee Kortes.

Wie bereits auf dem ebenso höchst gelungenen Debut 'Not The Tremblin' Kind' hat Cantrell 4 eigene Lieder geschrieben, dazu gibt's Stücke aus ihrem Umfeld - von Dave Schramm, Joe Flood, Dan Prater, Amy Rigby... und alten Stoff wie den Titelsong von der Carter Family, hier allerdings ausdrücklich dem Arrangement von Wilco nachempfunden.

"Although based in New York, Cantrell displays a fine country-folk pop sensibility, and merits being mentioned alongside Lucinda Williams, Mary Chapin Carpenter and (early) Nanci Griffith. Even more assured than her debut, this contains plenty of toe-tappers as well as lyrical insights. **** (4 stars)
(The Independent)

"Rolling Stone magazine called Laura Cantrell "the sweetest country voice in New York" when her album Not The Tremblin' Kind hit the racks in 2000. Now it's time for the singer described as "Nanci Grittith meets Emmylou Harris - only better!" to make a whole host of new friends in high places. And this collection of 12 carefully crafted songs can only help her achieve that aim. Born in Nashville, Laura's spent the last 15 years living and performing in New York City, as well as pursuing a parallel career as a radio Deejay (she hosts The Radio Thrift Shop every Saturday afternoon on WFMU in New York). But songs like the achy heartbreaker Too Lat For Tonight, the steel guitar-laced Wait and All The Same To You, with its sassy, in-your-face delivery reminiscent of Mary Chapin Carter, suggests she should stay this side of the fence. After all the must be one of the few artists to have caught the ear of both John Peel and Bob Harris. Give her the chance, and Laura Cantrell's intelligent country will catch yours."
(HMV Choice)

"When Laura Cantrell's last album Not The Tremblin' Kind was declared by none other than our very own John Peel to be possibly his favourite album of the last ten years the music world of couldn't help but sit up and listen. If a country folk album by a New Yorker and released on an up and coming Scottish independent label didn't sound the most promising thing in the world When The Roses Bloom Again proves that it was no fluke and that old Peely was right on the money. Let those with sympathetic ears listen and spread the word.
Using the same team of producer and guitarist Jay Sherman-Godfrey of the World Famous Blue Jays and a fine ensemble featuring the accomplished pedal steel of Jon Graboff, Cantrell has settled on a winning formula. Mixing self-written originals with songs by fellow NYC roots rock veterans Joe Flood (who also worked with Kelly Willis) and Amy Rigby amongst others she delivers a solid four-to-the-floor set that rings with Byrds-like guitar figures (Flood's "All The Same To You" and "Vaguest Idea") and retains a Merle Haggard simplicity; especially on her version of "Yonder Comes A Freight Train". Not a belter in the vocal department, she manages to retain a charming fragility while knowing enough to be able to inject humour and colour where its needed ("Too Late For Tonight").
None of this is surprising when you consider that though a Gotham city resident, she hails from Nashville and has an alternative career as a DJ - hence the ability to spot fine material when she sees it. The finest example of this is the A P Carter-penned title track, that retains the Wilco arrangement (bestowed upon it from its days as a contender for their Billy Bragg collaboration, Mermaid Avenue). Its mandolin-driven lilt is perfectly pitched to appeal to all those recent bluegrass converts and alt country fiends alike. Such assured knowledge of musical roots and contemporary trends puts her easily in the same league as, say, The Handsome Family, though a little less dark or ironic.
Ultimately though, its her own material that seems to offer the most promise. The storytelling of "Mountain Fern", is by far the most affecting of the cuts on offer. We can only hope that - with such plaudits already being gathered - next time around she has the confidence to offer us more of herself. In the meantime, this will do just fine."
(bbc.co.uk)

"Subtly understated but gloriously realised, Cantrell purveys a softly beguiling craft. Country music blessed with soul and touched by pop. Songs that touch and connect. Music of twang and jangle, shivery with mood and swoon. 'Vaguest Idea' is a breezy Byrdsian blast. 'Yonder Comes a Freight Train' rocks and strolls and chugs irresistibly. 'All The Same To You' floats by, but lingers long. Title track is a cover of an out-take from the Wilco/Billy Bragg 'Mermaid Avenue' album of Woody Guthrie songs (except it turned out to have been written by AP Carter...). This is a lovely record. A delicate mix of covers and originals. A happy, sad and very beauteous thing"
(Time Out)

"This is a beautiful, warm, affecting album, which shows up many floaty, tastefully angsty songstresses for the major label-sponsored empty vessels that they are. Part-time radio DJ, Cantrell is Nashville-born but has lived in New York for years, not that there is any trace of urban frenzy in her gently heartbreaking country laments. The antithesis of the big-haired, flashy divas of her birthplace, she is equally at home with melodic Byrdsian jangling, traditional country cover versions and intimate, heart-on-sleeve balladry. John Peel ranks her 2000 debut album, Not The Tremblin’ Kind, as one of his all-time favourites. Now he has another gem to add to his list."
(The Scotsman)

"Alt.country songbird Laura Cantrell cuts to the heart of the matter right from the first line of her second album. "I've been sitting all night listening to my records," she croons, and the well-developed aesthetics of this sometime college DJ are strongly in evidence here. "All The Same To You" is like a fresh-scrubbed Lucinda Williams, while the title track flirts successfully with old-time country, and closer "Oh So Many Years" channels the honky-tonk ghost of Kitty Wells. With agreeably bare-bones production and a feathery, unmannered vocal style, Cantrell positions herself as the Emmylou Harris of the post-Uncle Tupelo country-rock crowd, touted accordingly by such know-it-alls as Elvis Costello."
(Uncut magazine)

"...a case of the raptures all over again..."
(Netrhythms)

"Like 'Not The Tremblin' Kind' before it, 'When The Roses...' is a mixed bag of Cantrell's own tracks (she confesses to being happy if she only produces four fully developed songs each year; those four are presumably the ones credited to her on this album), those of other contemporary New York songwriters, and also covers of some "vintage" country standards of old, this time from the likes of Jim and Jesse and Kitty Wells; and right from the opening bars of the opening Cantrell penned 'Too Late For Tonight', you can tell that something great is at work here under the surface of the wistful shimmer.
The opening eight songs rattle along in great style. In the hands of anyone else but Cantrell some of them may have come accross as slightly overblown, but in her trademark understated drawl here they are tempered into near brilliance, Cantrell the sedating ringleader of the aching harmonies, proving herself a true country music virtuoso in her own self-made style; voice like a bath full of honey.
Of the stand-out tracks: the recent single 'All The Same To You', believe it or not, is Status Quo at their very best; 'Mountain Fern' is a plaintive epic of mammothly understated proportions and this album's answer to the previous album genius of 'Queen Of The Coast', Cantrell's storytelling excelling to Kafka like proportions; on 'Wait', her voice goes together with the gentle guitar like a dream, meanwhile the percussionist sets a languorous beat to which the temptation to reside in the local hay stable for the next twenty years has never before seemed to attain such an element of allure (this is good); 'Vaguest Idea' is as good as pure country music ever gets; and 'Broken Again' twists away like a flower in the breeze before we are treated to the awesome rendition of the Carter Family penned title track that follows.
To say hers are dulcet tones would be a vast understatement, but then she'd probably like that. There is no doubt that Cantrell is at her best when her songs give her a chance to understate things when they're almost bursting at the seams, and the songs on here seem to fit her laid back charm like a glove.
'When The Roses Bloom Again': an acclaimable team performance, no doubt. But for Cantrell herself we should really be rolling out the red carpet and fervently pitching roses.
Truly outstanding. 4 and 1/2 out of 5"
(Drownedinsound.com)

"Anyone coming to Laura Cantrell's second album on the strength of the hype surrounding her first (John Peel pronounced it was 'possibly the best record of his life') may suffer an initial disappointment, but this is a record whse virtues are of the old-fashioned kind.
A New York country DJ, Cantrell has an ear for a good song, a voice whose simplicity is disarming and a fondness for the kind of disciplined, crafty musicianship which goes a long way to redeeming the tarnished name of pop-country. Three or four listens and the effect is entirely beguiling. ****(4 stars)"
(The List)

"The follow-up record to an album described by no less an authority as John Peel as “My favourite record of the last ten years and possibly my life” was never going to be an easy ride, but New York based country DJ Laura Cantrell has just about managed it with her second collection of songs, “When the Roses Bloom Again.” Featuring twelve three and four minute tracks written both by Cantrell herself and by a wide variety of renowned mainly local New York singer-songwriters, Cantrell’s voice sounds as pure and distinctive as ever, but it’s the music itself again that sells it as succesfully as it does. Beginning with one of her own songs, “Too Late for Tonight” is co-written by Francis McDonald (Teenage Fanclub) and sparkles with the energy of its chiming chords and the contemplative late night musings of a relationship, complete with alluring lapsteel and Cantrell’s stong acoustic playing. Her own songs are indeed some of the strongest on the album, but there are other points of interests too, most notably the title track, a cover of an out-take from the Wilco/Billy Bragg collaboration “Mermaid Avenue,” which genuinely sounds better than you could ever have imagined Tweedy and Bragg performing it - in itself a testament to Cantrell’s skill with even the most respected material. Despite all the almost perfunctory credit that will get heaped upon the album, it’s still clear that very much like the first record, its key ingredient is charm, which it has in abundance - it really does make you glow with the songs and even at its most poignant moments, leaves you feeling happily soporific. One of this year’s essential albums - again."
(www.americana-uk.com)

"Um es vorweg zu nehmen: Mit „Out Of Season“ ist ihnen ein absolutes Meisterwerk gelungen, ein Album, dem man anmerkt, wieviel Liebe zum Detail drinsteckt. Ein Album, dass gleichzeitig federleicht und unheimlich deep klingt. Beide lieben den Sound einer Big Band auf den Aufnahmen von Nina Simone und Frank Sinatra, beide sind aber auch Fans von Nick Drake und Neil Young und deren Akustik-Songs. Beide Herangehensweisen haben sie nahezu perfekt miteinander verbunden.
So beginnt das Album mit „Mysteries“, einer Art Field Recording mit dezent gezupfter akustischer Gitarre, elfengleichen Backingvocals und Regen- und Waldgeräuschen. Dazu diese Stimme, die den Hörer schon zu „Dummy“-Zeiten für 45 Minuten in andere Sphären entführen konnte. Automatisch stellt man sich auf eine ganz relaxte, Pink Moon-mäßige Platte ein, bevor schon der zweite Song „Tom The Model“ mit ganzer Orchesterkraft wachrüttelt.
Da haben Gibbons/Webb den Hörer schon gepackt und lassen ihn erst nach 43 Minuten und 54 Sekunden wieder los. Was folgt ist große Kunst, die so manchen zuletzt so gehypten Singer/Songwriter vor Neid erblassen lässt. Da sind zum einen die Arrangements, die mit unglaublich viel Gespür für den richtigen Ton zusammengefügt wurden. Obwohl in so manchem Song eine Vielzahl von Instrumenten zu hören ist, klingt das Gesamtwerk rein und glasklar wie ein Gebirgsbach. Nie wirkt etwas überladen, eine alte Wurlitzer seufzt kurz auf und verschwindet wieder, Geigen schrauben sich zum Himmel empor – und sind wieder weg, eine kurzer Piano-Lauf perlt ins Nichts, ein akustischer Bass verströmt seiner unnachahmliche Wärme. Nur selten kulminiert das in einem fulminanten Finale, wie etwa beim fast 7-minütigen „Funny Time Of The Year“.
Die gelernte Schauspielerin Beth Gibbons schlüpft für die Songs in verschiedene Rollen, bei „Tom The Model“ klingt sie wie Elvis meets Bryan Ferry, bei „Spyder“ flüstert sie den Text, die Worte des abschließenden „Rustin Man“ scheinen wie durch ein altes Megaphon gesungen, bei „Romance“ klingt sie wie Billy Holiday. Diese stimmliche Wandelbarkeit ist für die Klasse dieses Albums ebenso wichtig wie die –ich wiederhole mich da gerne- unglaublichen Arrangements und die analoge Wärme der Aufnahme.
„Out Of Season“ ist ein Album aus einer anderen Zeit, eines, dass sich gut macht neben den Klassikern, die man seit Jahrzehnten so schätzt. „It´s among the best albums ever made“, jubiliert das Mojo Magazin und da ist was Wahres dran. Ein Album, beim dem man das Ende nicht abwarten kann. Damit man wieder auf „Start“ drücken darf." (Glitterhouse)

Mittlerweile hatte Will Oldham den jungen Schweden für sich entdeckt, und wie sich das für einen Bruder im Geiste gehört, sein Interesse auch öffentlich kundgetan. Nun schließt sich der Kreis, denn Nicolai Dunger reiste nach Louisville/Kentucky zu dem rauschebärtigen Singer-Songwriter-Schrat (aka Bonnie 'Prince' Billy) und dessen Bruder Paul. Es muss gewesen sein, als hätten sich in einer bunten Farmwelt Freunde zwischen Misthaufen und allerlei Getier wieder umarmt und gleich die Gitarren und Mundharmonika rausgeholt, um entspannte, häufig karg arrangierte Country-Songs anzustimmen. Der blonde Schwede, der schweigsame Oldham sowie Peter Townsend (Schlagzeug) und Jessica Billey (Violine) lassen die Gelassenheit, Ruhe und Harmonie dieser Zeit stark in die Musik einfließen. Tranquil Isolation ist Albumtitel und Zustandsbeschreibung zugleich. Der Schwede mit der Tim Buckley sehr ähnlichen Stimme hat seine Heimat verlassen und eine neue gefunden. Manchmal führen eben nur Abwege zum Ziel. --Sven Niechziol (amazon)

If Soul Rush brought Nicolai Dunger to America's attention (via Lakeshore's domestic release), the Swedish singer/songwriter kicked things up a notch with Tranquil Isolation. This time he actually recorded in the States -- specifically the state of Kentucky -- with such quintessentially American musicians as Will and Paul Oldham of the Palace Brothers. With all the American influences in his music, like jazz, folk, blues, and gospel, it's a decision that makes as much sense in theory as in practice (and he's also collaborated with New York psych-rockers Mercury Rev on occasion). If nothing on the album is quite as majestic as string-laden opening track "Last Night I Dreamt of Mississippi" -- and even if Dunger's the kind of scarf-wearing gent who can sing about "mamas" and "lovers" without a lick of irony -- the relaxing spell Tranquil Isolation casts remains unbroken throughout. And Dunger's flexible voice couldn't be more distinctive; whether he's moaning, crooning, or humming, he comes across like a bolder Nick Drake (see "Cello Song") or Astral Weeks-era Van Morrison, which is to say that his record collection must surely have a few British and Irish artists sprinkled in amongst all the Tim Buckley, Miles Davis, and Mississippi John Hurt LPs. (by Kathleen C. Fennessy, AMG)

A funny thing happened to Nada Surf on the way to sure-fire late-'90s alt-rock stardom. Despite obtaining a decent amount of MTV exposure, their sardonic first single, "Popular," ultimately arrived just moments too late to capitalize on the era's short-lived mainstream fancy with geek rock. And with no quality second hit in sight, neither 1996's moderately successful High/Low nor its forgettable 1998 follow-up, The Proximity Effect, gained much traction outside the indie rock underground -- seemingly consigning the trio to the dreaded one-hit-wonder bin. Subsequently dropped by Elektra, Nada Surf settled into a prolonged state of hibernation (only drummer Ira Elliot was heard from, thanks to his regular session work), so that even committed fans would have to be forgiven for washing their hands of the group during this four-year silence. That is, until the belated and understated 2002 arrival of their revealing third opus, Let Go, on which Nada Surf showed that they refused to quietly fade away into gimmick-enforced exile by putting their faith into their own pop songwriting instincts. The resulting record takes its title quite literally, as layer after layer of preconceived notions and excess noise are stripped away to unveil both soft-spoken charm and intense newfound confidence. Upbeat, electrified fare like "Hi-Speed Soul" and the Foo Fighters-lite of "The Way You Wear Your Head" is now the exception to the rule established by predominantly acoustic numbers like "Blizzard of '77," "Fruit Fly," and "Neither Heaven nor Space," all of which strike a heartaching chord with their bewitching melancholy. The French-sung "La Pour Ca" offers a mesmerizing, Pink Floyd-styled laziness, while additional mellow highlights such as "Inside of Love," "Blonde on Blonde," and "Paper Boats" somehow manage to sound sadly introspective and positively sunny at the same time, welcoming the listener to doze in their arms. Not exactly a reinvention as much as a reaffirmation of their original purpose, Let Go seems to mark a new beginning for Nada Surf.

(by Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide)