Search - Beth Rowley :: Little Dreamer

A haunting debut that left me wanting more

Veggiechiliqueen | 12/04/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was captivated by Beth Rowley's haunting "Nobody's Fault But My Own" on my way home from work (she was featured on NPR), and knew that I had to have more of her smokey, gospel blues-tinged debut Little Dreamer. Roughly half of the album has that hand-waving church vibe that makes you want to sway in place with your eyes closed, caught up in the power of the music. "Only One Cloud" is a moody song that sounds like a field spiritual. Jim Crawford's "When the Rains Came" is fronted by a haunting Dobro with a driving bass that sounds like a Native American dance. "Almost Persuaded" tells the tale of "temptation flowing like wine." The chorus of "You Never Called Me Tonight" has production values that sound like it could have come out of some lost Motown vault, with a sassy, almost funeral-like pounding piano knelling the death of the doomed relationship.



But Little Dreamer is multifaceted, and includes covers of Bob Dylan (I Shall Be Released) and Willie Nelson (Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground), along with some upbeat pop. The sweet, slow piano intro to "Sweet Hours" almost sounds like a lost Norah Jones gem as bass and snare step in to pick up the beat, while "So Sublime" flirts with hints of 1960s folk and pop. I wasn't as crazy about "Angel"; Beth's voice wasn't as complementary to the song as on the stronger gospel-influenced tracks.



Overall, this is a very promising debut of another undeniably talented British singer-songwriter in the vein of Corinne Bailey Rae, Back to Black and 19 who truly inhabits the smoky, gospel-tinged blues tunes and makes them her own."

Simply beautiful

lucien larose | México | 12/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One of the best voices of jazz-pop nowadays. I specially recommend "Oh My Life", "Almost Persuaded" and the beautiful "Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground"."

Fantastic artist, would buy future albums

JJ Christensen | Orange County, Southern CA, USA | 11/19/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this album upon the recommendation of a former student, and boy, it did NOT disappoint. I think this girl can take Norah Jones out for a spin at the park and come out ahead."