| Clare
Burson sings like she is across the veil instead of across the
Jersey turnpike in Brooklyn, in her otherworldly sophomore album.
Sounding like she's trapped in a fever dream with musicians influenced
by Explosions In The Sky guarantees a compelling listen from this
classically trained musician. Her spare cover of 'These Boots
Are Made For Walkin,' backed by a lone banjo, is jarringly creepy,
but Burson originals like '1000 Miles,' 'Angels,' and 'Boat of
Leaves,' are haunting tales with a hypnotic quality.
- David Pyndus, Pop Culture Press, Spring & Summer 2008
. . . [Thieves] begins with electrified turbulence,
passes through wide-awake freedom, and emerges on the edge of
an unmarked town stripped of nearly everything but her voice and
her emotions. While the trend in singer-songwriters of the indie-rock
persuasion is toward naivete and pre-teen vocalizing, Burson sings
like a grown soul, aware of the repercussions of her choices .
. .
- Roy Kasten, No
Depression, Nov./ Dec. 2007
A thrill from start to finish . . . With a sympathetic
production by fognode (Brian Siskind) the sound jumps out of the
speakers, with a wraparound quality, guitars and vocals achieve
an intense but ambient sound that seems to be the aural equivalent
of Cinemascope . . . Set against clarion guitars, washes of keyboard
and synthesisers and intricate percussive backgrounds her voice
rings clear and powerful. There are heartstopping moments such
as her crooning in the middle of the title song while the band
chug along like a mescal filled Weimar cabaret combo. Angels rips
away from the start with a crunchy guitar intro leading into a
fantastic song that Lucinda Williams would die for. With vibraphone
throbbing away throughout the song and a soaring pedal steel part,
Burson sings like an angel. On 1000 Miles her vocals edge towards
Joni Mitchell as the band pound out a percussive beat.
- Paul Kerr, americana-uk,
10/06/07
. . . Hers is a knowing voice, world-weary like
Lucinda Williams’, expressive like Kathleen Edwards’,
mysterious like Jolie Holland’s. And produced by Nashville
studio wizard Fognode (Brian Siskind), Burson traverses the whole
emotional spectrum on this remarkable album – the tentative
joy of liberation (cinematic opener ‘Boat of leaves’),
the impossible lightness of metaphysical reverie (cosmic cowgirl
twanger ‘Angels’), the endorphin rush of expectation
(thrumming anthem ‘1000 miles’). She even finds time
to step back and put a fresh spin on Nancy Sinatra’s sassy
classic ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin,’ this time
recasting it as an ancient murder ballad for banjo.
. . . Nowadays the Americana genre is awash in over-hyped/ under-developed
singer-songwriter, so it’s doubly refreshing to encounter
a talent such as Burson who seemingly arrives fully-formed. THIEVES
is the sound of a magnificent lily caught in mid-flowering, its
rich scent already piercing the air.
- Fred Mills, Harp
Magazine, Sept./ Oct. 2007
On her sophomore LP, this Tennessee native hungers
for a lost love within musical laments built on Americana roots
and indie-rock lilts. Tender sentiments give way to embittered
warbles with tracks like the wronged-gal anthem, “These
Boots Are Made For Walkin,’” which Burson undresses
to a soulful cry and a lone twangy banjo. Intimate and brooding,
THIEVES is the confessions, obsessions, and mixed emotions of
the broken-hearted.
- Helen Matatov, CMJ New Music Monthly, Sept. 2007
. . . Burson’s music is an evolving blend
of acoustic folk, rock and introspective lyrics. Add just enough
noises and scratches and it’s given an ever-so-subtle lo-fi
twist . . . With her latest album, THIEVES, Burson continues to
sharpen her songwriting talents and has expanded artistically.
The opening track, ‘Boat Of Leaves’, instantly creates
a haunting mood, beautiful imagery and opens up the set wonderfully
before a long fadeout makes way for the equally compelling title
track . . . THIEVES is a strong and memorable album that will
undoubtedly bring Burson one step closer to national acclaim.
- Robbie McCown, womenfolk.net,
8/23/07
Erstwhile Nashvillian Clare Burson has been
making records of understated beauty ever since she released her
evocative debut, The In-Between, in 2003. Now living in Brooklyn,
she recorded her new Thieves with Nashville producer Fognode,
a sculptor of ambient musical textures who imbues Burson's plainspoken
originals with a creaky splendor that evokes the blues of Appalachia
and the Mississippi Delta but doesn't really sound like either.
Hooked by dissonant flecks of banjo, the disc's cover of "These
Boots Are Made for Walkin'" is likely to get folks talking, but
hopefully it won't overshadow Burson's own haunting studies in
brown. Sung in her by turns gauzy and clarion alto, several of
her songs would sound right at home alongside the more down-tempo
numbers on Leslie Feist's gorgeous new album.
- Bill Friskics-Warren, The Tennessean, 7/13/07
Singer-songwriter Clare Burson is a Nashville
native with a casual, unnervingly expressive voice who now lives
in Brooklyn. Her spare indie-Americana bears a heavy Nashville
influence, both in its contributors and its sweet soulfulness.
- Lee Stabert, The Nashville Scene, 2/15/07
genuine brooding and shimmering genius
- J.R. Taylor, Birmingham Black and White City Paper, 2/8/07
I've said it before and I will say it again,
you owe it to yourself to discover the music of Clare Burson.
[On her 2007 release, THIEVES,] her delicate, fragile voice harkens
back to something from the 20's or 30's and her songs will downright
break your heart.
- Scott Register, Reg's Coffeehouse, 12/6/06
...If Lucinda Williams grew up on Yo La Tengo
ballads instead of Hank Williams blues, she'd sound something
like Clare Burson... who draws lightly on country and soul melodies
to illuminate her dark, cloudy indie-rock supplications.
- Roy Kasten, The Riverfront Times, 8/23/06
Clare Burson [is] a fiercely independent songwriter
with a voice and songwriting style that carries the tremendous
weight left by the shoes of her contemporaries as if they were
mere feathers... The stunning clarity and simplicity of [her]
songwriting and performances should leave no question that Clare
Burson's career trajectory is on the rise... I am told that her
live performance is incredibly moving, and you should, when possible,
take the opportunity to catch her in a live setting... Clare Burson's
music... is more than merely achingly hypnotic tales of forlorn
love or struggle for hope. It's the awe-inspiring independence
of Clare Burson herself that speaks volumes to me about her fearless
journey to be recognized for her gifts on her own terms. To me,
that makes the listening so much more enjoyable.
- E.J., www.loudersoft.com,
8/21/06
What I like most is the way music actually sounds,
actually feels. Clare Burson’s “Take Good Care,”
for example; it’s human, empathetic...led by potentially
obvious words (obvious as in simple) and backed by that wicked
guitar...all minor-key...and then there’s this driving, urgent
momentum that makes the song, at first, seem “plea-ful”
but then, utterly demanding. That’s my favorite sort of song:
dark and intimate, but also beautiful...like life.
- Kate Bradley, Music Director, The Loft at XM Satellite Radio,
3/16/06
So many singer-songwriters are making DIY recordings
now that it's hard for any of them to make an impression. Burson,
though, managed to stand above the crowd when "Take Good
Care," a song off her new Idaho EP, beat out 15,000 others
to move to the finals of the 2005 International Songwriting Contest.
Like most of the songs on her new EP, "Take Good Care"
is Lucinda Williams-style Americana darkened with reverb-laden
guitars and subtly driving drums. Burson's voice is clear and
beautiful, with a dramatic tension that suggests she's holding
back its full power.
- Jessica Friedman, The Nashville Scene, 3/15/06
[Idaho] picks up where her excellent debut album
'The In-between' left off and reinforces her position as one of
the best independent artists around.
- Neil Pearson, Fish records, 2-6-06
A few years ago, I raved
about a singer-songwriter from Nashville with the voice of an
angel and a knack for writing songs that were so real that I could
actually feel them touch the core of my heart and soul. I wondered
aloud how an artist this talented could fly so far under the radar
of the music world as I thought her talent was on par with the
best singer-songwriters in the business. With the release of her
new ep, Idaho, I am happy to say that I still continue
to put Clare Burson on a pedestal and hope and pray that soon
her name will be on the lips of music lovers everywhere. Clare
has recently relocated to New York and has a new band she is about
to roll out. If you are in the area, make sure you go see her
perform.
- Scott Register, Reg's Coffeehouse KMTN, WBSD, WGWG, WRAX, WRTT,
WWVV - 11/27/2005
I would say Clare Burson has serious, serious
potential for breaking through.... Clare played solo, and her
voice...my goodness her voice. It's crystal clear and simply beautiful.
She writes sweet, often rollicking melodies and has this combo
Americana/country/jazzy sound and feel to her songs. Great songwriter.
Great storyteller. Great singer. I bought her cd on Saturday and
haven't stopped listening to it since. It's very, very good stuff.
I really can't say enough good things about this performer.
- House Concert Review on www.philzone.org, 2-21-05
[Clare Burson] sings with
a sweet melancholy voice and writes literate and poetic songs.
All 10 tracks are somber and moody, yet they never lose momentum
and are widely appealing . . . The track 'Tonight' is particularly
contagious. 'The In-Between' is a beautifully understated and
subtle album and will certainly hold its own among a crowded marketplace.
An impressive debut.
- Liz Norris , Performing Songwriter Magazine - 11/16/2004
The In-Between
is a slow burn of a stunner . . . acoustic balladry at its best.
- Bill Ellis, The Commercial Appeal - 1/16/2004
The In-Between
showcases a lyrical style that is smart and elegant but still
refreshingly plainspoken. And the songs are put across by unabashedly
pretty singing that contains just enough sandy ache to give it
character. As a rootsy female singer-songwriter, Burson traffics
in a familiar and overstuffed subgenre, but this world also consistently
produces new stars, and judging from The In-Between, Burson
clearly has the talent to break out as well.
- Chris Herrington & Chris Davis, The Memphis Flyer - 1/15/2004
The In-Between
is one of the most genuine collections of songs I have heard in
a while. It's one thing to sound gorgeous but to have honest lyrics
that are universal in their theme and dead on production to boot,
now we are talking . . . The record spoke to me from the first
listen. Clare sings of the human condition in a way that I haven't
heard in a while. Her lyrics are poetry and cry out to be listened
to. She has a way of capturing moments in time and feelings of
desperation and hope . . . I've listened to this record straight
through countless times and each time I fall for it more . . .
- Scott Register, Reg's Coffeehouse WRAX 107.7FM - 11/30/2003
The In-Between
has a degree of musical sophistication and a lightness of touch
not often present on singer/songwriter discs, and the fact that
it's a debut album from a young artist makes this all the more
impressive . . . Clare has an expressive, smooth and understated
voice, easy to listen to, but full of character and detail . .
. the arrangements are superb - restrained but full of tiny details,
and the vocal melodies are equally strong - varied and refreshing
. . . Essential.
- Neil Pearson, Fish Records, U.K. - 7/14/2003
A touching, wonderful
disc. Clare's a comer . . . [and] this record is a treasure. The
tones and the arrangements are bare and beautiful. Co-producer
Lex Price's spirit resonates throughout, and he plays lovely electric
guitar that seems to melt into the other tracks . . . Long on
charisma and short on melisma, Clare's alto is disarmingly honest
and brought peace to my Sunday troubled mind. The relaxed feel
of every track speaks to a wisdom beyond her years . . . Bittersweet,
upbeat. With The In-Between, Clare Burson has already carved
a place for herself as a true musician in the world of
singer songwriters, and that's rare enough. But this is still
just the beginning for this artist, and there is no limit to where
she may go.
- Frank Goodman, www.puremusic.com - June 2003
[Clare's] shimmering debut
album is called The In-Between, a title that works at the
“what-music-genre-is-this?” level as well as it describes
the elusive and personal nature of the writing. Picking up on
the organic and unmistakably Southern soundscapes of Lucinda Williams
or late-period Emmylou Harris, Burson brings her own voice to
the show, and it's a pretty and potent one.
- Craig Havighurst, The Tennessean - 6/7/2003
[Burson's] singing suggests
awakening on a sunny morning, a breeze whispering through soft
curtains; it's rumpled, a little seductive, and highly musical.
- Robert Doerschuk, The Nashville Rage - 6/5/2003
|
|
|
