Holly Cole: album reviews and ratings

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Reviews & Recommendations

Blame it on my Youth
- Holly Cole

Holly Cole

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Synopsis:

Holly Cole was born in Halifax, Canada in 1963. In 1985 she carved her musical trio with pianist Aaron Davis and bassist David Piltch. Her style, sometimes distilled, usually approaches classic jazz standards with a dash of irony and an ever present smirking sarcasm.

I last saw Holly Cole in concert in Montreal a few years back. Her performance was honest and held a unblemished sincerity. The connection with the audience was uncanny and the reaction electric. Her finesse is undeniable, her throaty voice holds a smoldering expressiveness inexorably mesmerizing.

- Christian Sarraf, Musicfolio 09/99

CD Reviews & Recommendations:

1991 Blame It on My Youth

The melancholic throaty diva interprets her benchmark variation of jazz standards with this richly textured musical effort in full sprawling fashion, taking an attractive and mocking stab at society using her notorious temperamental overtones.

- Christian Sarraf, musicfolio, 09/99

Her voice is amazing. Everything to the swinging "If I Were a Bell" To the beautiful, and romantic "I'll Be Seeing You" is stupendous ...

- a music fan, Mukilteo WA , 12/98

One of the most exciting albums I have listened to ... truly an undiscovered talent

- a music fan, Burlington Vermont 11/98

Holly and company work their usual magic ... The unique intro and always flawless vocal inspires chills with every listen.

- John Jones, Seattle WA, 10/98

Surprising! My favorite Holly Cole recording. Her interesting phrasing ... make this a wonderful surprise every time you listen. An excellent mix of pop and jazz.

- a music fan, Springfield IL, 07/99

1993 Don't Smoke in Bed

... clean-lined, highly polished, and very self-consciously sophisticated ...

- Entertainment Weekly 9/93

Another strong artistic statement from one of jazz's finest ..

- John Jones, Seattle WA, 08/98

If this were vinyl, I would've worn through it already! ... My kids even like it!

- a music fan, Bend OR, 04/98

1994 Girl Talk

Holly Cole's caustic sarcasm is clearly reflected as the spirited singer gently veers towards fuzzy pop culture. Her vocal eccentricity lives on bequeathing that further talent lay unlocked. A good listen but I still recomend Blame it on my youth as your first purchase.

- Christian Sarraf, musicfolio, 09/99

Holly Cole ignites the unspoken. Wether singing in the Yukon or New York City, she breathes the fresh air of irony through the smoky dimly lit longing for intimacy - traditionally a dangerous haven for a woman's soul

- Naomi Riches

1995 Temptation

... What's consistently effective is the minimal soundscape crafted by producer Craig Street ...

- Entertainment Weekly 8/95

... a minimalist KD Lang ... I Don't Wanna Grow Up'--where the Waits original was a rude kid rant, here it's an introverted suicidal lullaby ...

- New Musical Express 10/95

... It's like a cup of cherry cola-over ice-after a 100-mile marathon under the hot July sun.

- pureinvisible@hotmail.com, Ontario, Canada, 12/98

1995 It Happened One Night
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Dark! Intensely moving. Great musical and emotional complexity.

- A music fan from Out of The Blue, 05/99

1997 Dark Dear Heart

... Cole makes exquisite craft out of her delivery ... the arrangements constructed to add smoke and color to her husky to bright mezzo-soprano range ...This skillfully interpretive ... secures a place in my mind as one of our generation's most promising and individual songbirds.

- CDNOW

... sultry minimalism ... it's Cole's vocals that define the album; avoiding both stiff reverence and kitsch, she consistently proves that delivering a lyric is as much a creative art as writing one.

- Rolling Stone, 11/97

Cole's fourth studio album reinvents the Canadian cabaret chanteuse as a thinking person's pop diva, integrating slick production while keeping the focus on her duskily expressive voice ...

- Entertainment Weekly 11/97

Not as good as Temptation. Holly Cole hovers on the borderline between jazz and pop, which gives this album definitely something incoherent.

- a music fan, Holland, 09/99

Diverse singer comes full circle. After years of turning standards inside out and singing the hell out of pop tunes with a jazzy angle, Holly Cole releases an all-out pop release with dark, dear results.

- John , Seattle WA, 12/98

An indescribable melding of intellect and sensuality ...

- Richard Greenough, Portland Oregon, 09/99

1998 Yesterday & Today
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1998 Christmas Blues
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Skip this one. Although Holly's voice would be welcome in my home at the holidays, this disc is not at all ...

- silyputy73@aol.com, NEW YORK BABY, 07/99

The songs are OK but a CD with only 4 short songs on it is just plain wrong ...

- Fiona Carson, CA, 12/98

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