Rachel Harrington: Reviews

FOUR STARS! "A primer in Americana"

"makes easy bedfellows of both old and new country" 3 out of 5 stars

"Recommended! An impressive collection ... 4.5 stars!"

Four stars: "Harrington is at the top of her form"

FOUR STARS! "like tuning into some obscure backwoods American radio station from sepia-tinted days of yore"

"An absolutely brilliant debut ... I've been getting tremendous listener response ... [The Bootlegger's Daughter] is already a contender for Album of the Year in my opinion!"

"just the right combination of temerity and twang .. leaving enough space for listeners to want more from this Bootlegger's still."

* #9, John Sincock - DJ, KBCS

* #1, Francois Braeken - music critic, RootsVille

* #5, Nico Druijf, Euro-Americana DJ

* Top 30 Best Seller for 2007, Miles of Music

* #31 Best of 2007, No Depression readers poll

* Best releases of 2007, Tom Funk, DJ, KGLP

* #73 - US folk radio in 2007, based on 162420 airplays from 197 different DJs

* #2 Best Debut of 2007: Third Coast Music

* Top 10 of '07, FolkRoots (CBC)

"an ideal vehicle showcasing [Rachel's] multiple talents ... a significant landmark"

"Harrington most favorably represents a new generation of singer-songwriters ... carefully crafted songs ... a tasty mix ... an assured voice ... songwriting that truly shines!"

"a musical story into the roots of Americana ... 100% top class music!"

"A beautiful moving voice that makes you forget everything. 'The Bootlegger's Daughter' is currently topping the EuroAmericana Chart, a monthly hit parade composed by DJs, journalists and other folks working in the Americana genre ... She fits very well into the ranks of neo-traditionalists like Gillian Welch and Diana Jones. And if Rachel plays the Blue Highways festival next year, she should be able to take their place." [Translation by Markus Rill]

"IT'S A CRACKER! The challenge is finding only one outstanding area to highlight ... bittersweet and mournful voice, her melancholy story telling ... exemplary musicianship ... are all competing for top billing ... a terrific, intimate folk/bluegrass record."

"Already a contender for 2007 album of the year ... evocative vocals and gifted songwriting ... lyrics are literate and heartbreaking in equal measure ... gaining national airplay alongside a lot of support from European stations, including the BBC where she comes with the highest of recommendations from the legendary Bob Harris."

"like reading a beautifully written novel ... the same intensity of purpose and belief that elevates Gillian Welch to heights few can dream of ... sheer magic ... unforgettable beauty"

"...as cheerful as Leonard Cohen."

"Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch... Rachel Harrington! These kinds of top-notch comparisons don't seem far-fetched at all given the extraordinary excellence of this likeable Seattle musician's debut album ... creating quite a stir on both sides of the Atlantic"
[Translation by Markus Rill]

"Rachel Harrington's twangy, gospel-trained voice and slow-waltzing backdrops sound so authentic that she can get away with starting a song, '1846, the year that I was born.' The Oregon native also convincingly inhabits hard-bitten male characters ... When Harrington's full-length debut, The Bootlegger's Daughter, appears in early 2007, uninitiated alt-country connoisseurs will wonder how she made it 161 years without capturing their attention."

"Bootlegger’s Daughter releases a strong debut ... Rachel’s voice is one of the many highlights of this record."

"Rachel Harrington sets the calendar into prohibition period with “The Bootlegger’s Daughter” ... Stunning stuff ... It’s not often one finds this level of sophistication. File with along with Alison Krauss, Nanci Griffith and EmmyLou Harris."

"an inviting listen; warm rustic tones and beautifully crafted songs"

"It’s an undisputable fact that Harrington’s debut album is practically bursting with musicality ... 'The Bootlegger’s Daughter' impresses with high-quality country songs in mostly acoustic arrangements ... resonates with an aura of calm, softness, tenderness, and casual, un-agitated instrumental mastery ... To my ears, this is the most beautiful country record of the year so far ... a colossal debut!"

[Translation by Markus Rill]

"FIVE STARS! Absolutely brilliant! The best debut since Gillian's '96 'Revival'."

"[This is] Country music as God intended."

"FIVE STARS!" [Highest score ever given by this reviewer at this publication]
"[My predication:] Rachel Harrington will succeed without a doubt to get to the top of the Euro Americana Chart with 'The Bootlegger's Daughter', will appear in the Miles Of Music Bestsellers Charts, get on the cover of No Depression and frequently pop up in the Best of 2007 year-end lists."

[Translation by Cora]

"Thanks for sending your very excellent 'The Bootlegger's Daughter' CD Rachel.....as its mountain spring pure and campfire warm. Keep up the great work!"

Rachel Harrington acaba de publicar en su propio sello (un guiño al personaje de “Heatworn Highways”) su primer disco, un espectacular tratado de Americana acústico que me ha dejado perplejo. Ella es de Oregón, en el Northwest, y por lo visto llevaba unos años trabajando sus canciones y tocando en directo. No ha perdido el tiempo: Entre la gente para la que ha abierto figuran Guy Clark, Jim Lauderdale, Fred Eaglesmith o Eliza Gilkynson.

Hábil en promocionar su producto, laboriosa en la tarea de destacar en una categoría como la que agrupa todo el rock americano de autor, lo había movido previamente entre algunos periodistas y ya se han podido leer algunas reseñas en publicaciones y webs de roots, todas merecidamente elogiosas. Fue directo al número 1 del EuroAmericanaChart, y me da que en cuanto aterrice en Europa, sus logros van a ser mucho más sonados. Bob Harris -mito de la BBC- ya se ha deshecho en halagos en su columna mensual en la revista británica Maverick. No me extraña: Rachel va a hacer discos tan buenos como los de Gillian Welch o como los de Lucinda Williams.

Sus canciones -en las que hay country, bluegrass y bastante gospel- son de esas que siempre buscamos para que nos hagan compañía. Para que suenen por la mañana mientras empezamos el día, o por la noche en el rato que os deja libre el trabajo. Que poco a poco nos van pillando y tiran de nuestro ánimo hacia arriba. Precioso trabajo, basado totalmente en la remota tradición americana y sin concesiones a la modernidad, hecho para durar y para ser degustado con calma por quienes hartos de productos prefabricados para el efecto inmediato, prefieren los discos de largo recorrido. A colocar, junto a "My Remembrance Of You" de Diana Jones, entre lo mejorcito aparecido en los últimos meses gracias a la sección femenina.

“ . . . music from a woman whose name no longer will be in the category of noble unknowns. No doubt this debut EP will soon be a much-in-demand collector´s item. Don’t miss the train, readers, you might miss the whole ride – and that would be a shame!”

"... striking how she makes these songs effortlessly her own. The result is acoustic alt-country from a debutant of the highest caliber. If she can redeem the pledge of this exquisite beginning, then she can develop certainly into one of the greats of the genre."

"Indeed, one of the nicest discoveries of last year was Rachel Harrington. . . . the results are obvious: If Harrington's passion for music is half as strong as the quality of music brought forth on this EP, her destiny is clear. We await Rachel Harrington's full-length debut with eager anticipation."

" . . . reminds you of nothing so much as a church service somewhere in the middle of a Mid-West prairie."

"A voice that has no problem taking center stage ... hers is a name the Alt. Country scene will be hearing a lot more of for years to come."

"Rachel Harrington knows her way around (and in, out, up and down) a harmony. On Halloween Leaves, her 4-song demo EP, she masterfully draws you in using her luminous voice and an acoustic guitar. And it´s enough. In fact, it´s just about perfect. "

" . . . This lady has a voice that is so rich and full of sadness, she can place a song on the heart of every listener. Halloween Leaves is an acoustic jewel."

"Rachel Harrington has potential and we will soon be hearing more of her."

"truly exemplary..."

“a great duet partner . . . the wonderful Rachel Harrington.”