*These are some quick quotes. To read the full length articles and reviews,please continue to the next pages*
"Angela Easterling has the fire in her belly. With songs inspired by Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones and A.P. Carter's bones, power, corruption, sex, lies, videotape, French microphones, epic floods and plain old human heartache, Angela is creating literate, modern Southern music for the ages."
"Listening to Angela Easterling is no more difficult than the least difficult task you can imagine. It is the musical equivalent of sitting on the front porch and watching the sun sink. The Greenville singer-songwriter boasts a crystal-clear voice that resonates like Tift Merritt's, little hints of twang occasionally surfacing beneath its polished surface. Her gentle balladry seems boundless like a field and as clear as country skies. Though her work is buttoned-up and polished and ready for commercial acceptance, it still seems too honest for Wal-Mart shelves; such lack of pretense is hard to market." B. Reed, Free Times
Praise for Mon secret
Click here to read Article about MON SECRET in the Spartanburg Herald Journal 2-16-12 by Dan Armonaitis
"(Mon secret) combines romanticism with rootsy musical textures to create something special." Audiophile 2-24-12
"Ear ecstasy…. She could be singing about rotten fish laying in the sun on an old wooden pier and it would sound sexy. The production and level of musicality on this recording is just superb." No Depression 3-5-12
"This Upstate darling has gone European. Easterling’s latest album, Mon Secret, was recorded entirely in French. Now before you raise your eyebrows, rest assured: this Americana songbird has not lost her way home. Au contraire, the Parisian panache only adds to her folksy grit and charm by injecting a romantic zest. It’s as if the secrecy of her lyrics emboldens her; Easterling’s vocals exude confidence and maturity. She’s still rocking cowgirl chic, but now her tunes possess a certain je ne sais quoi." Shana Till, FREE TIMES 3-14-12
"Lovely melodies with the feeling of a fresh breeze in your hair" Review of MON SECRET on Alt Country Forum (Netherlands)
"What emerges most from this CD is the sincerity Angela puts into all of her music, in her words, she does not sing in French just to sing in French, she does it as it should be done, from the heart." Review of MON SECRET from POPATI-GE (France)
Praise for BEGUILER
"This singer-songwriter's latest, Beguiler ranks as her best effort to date. Some of her original songs have an epic scope while others are tiny, elegantly illuminated vignettes. Her disarmingly non-histrionic soprano heighten's her performances emotional impact while Brandon Turner's guitar provides some extra dollops of electric energy to the mix." Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar
"Those who know Ms. Easterling will tell you she's the genuine article, just as real and honest as you're going to find behind a microphone these days. So what's an honest girl doing singing about all these lies? Telling the truth about them, of course, in a voice that is strong and clear, backed by The Beguilers, who are Brandon Turner (guitar) and Jeff Hook (drums). Will Kimbrough, who produced the record, also plays on it along with Byron House (bass) and Fats Kaplin (fiddle, accordion, pedal steel). Mr. Kimbrough has taken this very strong cast of players and found just the right combination of instruments for each song, resulting in the impression that each song is recorded just as it should be, nothing missing and nothing extra." No Depression
"Easterling is at her best when she sheds her pop charms to explore more sinister subjects and tap into country roots. The percussive ode “Manifest Destiny” is an easy nod to Carrie Rodriguez or Alison Krauss with its bleak, piercing fiddles and Easterling’s spotless vocals – which emulate those of Krauss – as she sings of the inevitability of land theft and development. Easterling takes Beguiler into deep water as she sings about infidelity, morality and urban sprawl, and she won’t write a breakup song without wheedling out the most complex aspects. McGuinn describes Easterling’s sound as “tradition meets youthful exuberance,” but it’s more than just tradition; snappy youth is why Beguiler sparkles. But wizened lyrical depth is what could make it last. "
Jessica Pace, American Songwriter
"Innocence and clarity so fresh as to be dangerous. The strongest track is “Maria, My Friend” – which tells a sad tale of lost friendship and proves a lovely vehicle for Easterling’s surprising vocal range, with sparse guitar/mandolin/accordion backdrop. All in all, a whole lot of record covering a great deal of musical ground in under 50-minutes. As a result, it’s difficult to put a finger on where Easterling’s planning on going next, but the detours taken here do a fine job of leaving the decision squarely up to her. She’s certainly got the voice to pull it off." Eric Thom, Maverick
“Angela Easterling has a golden, glowing voice and she writes observant songs about contemporary life. She can weave urban sprawl and cultural shifts into songs as gingerly as love and relationships. She’s taken her very promising career to a new level with her new album Beguiler, and we expect to be beguiled.” Craig Havighurst, Music City Roots
"Easterling’s new Will Kimbrough-produced Beguiler introduces her snappy new band the Beguilers with a — well, beguiling set of catchy, country-rocking songs that stick in your mind." Jon Weisberger, Nashville Scene
"A Married Man" –top pick on CMT.com Summer 2011 recap blog
"On her own, Angela Easterling is an outstanding singer-songwriter whose music is deeply entrenched in country, folk and Americana. But with her highly skilled band, The Beguilers, Easterling is transformed into a full-fledged rock 'n' roll force. That's not to say her roots influences aren't still evident; it's just that there's more of a high-octane edge to the proceedings. Think Lucinda Williams to get an idea of the musical intensity of Easterling's full band performances."
Dan Armonaitis, Spartanburg Herald-Journal
"Easterling's smart tunes and spunky delivery put her in a category with Americana songbirds such as Tift Merritt and Shelby Lynne."
Sam McDonald, DailyPress.com
“This is a special act to hit town. Her recent album, Beguiler has a unique blend of grassy-folk and just enough pop to keep ya singing along. Her voice is angelic and her band truly enhances this along with each song’s story. Don’t miss this one, folks.” Fredericksburg, VA patch
"Beguiler is a diverse and spirited re-imagination of the classic country-rock of the early 1970s, the best of which effortlessly blends folk, pop, country, and rock behind the singularly beautiful, lilting vocals and ever-sharpening songwriting prowess of a budding talent." Kyle Petersen, Free Times
"This is Easterling’s first recording with her band, “The Beguilers,” and it’s clear listening to the sample track “Two Clouds” that she’s taking full advantage of the new musical resources she’s been given. The song starts off with guitarist Brandon Turner exhibiting some Steve Cropper style, Blues Brothers-esque ascending notes alongside a soaring organ line, then Easterling’s commanding voice and drummer Jeff Hook’s driving beat propel the song into what becomes a country-tinged summer romp of a track." Cameron Powell, SceneSC
"Angela Easterling is on the road with a new CD–Beguiler, produced by Nashville superstar Will Kimbrough, also features the handy work of Brandon Turner. She’s been hitting the circuit several years now, known for her intense performance of “Helpless” at the 2009 Americana Music Festival I know you’re feeling a little Americana void in your life right now, here’s some medicine." Nashville For Free blog
"Easterling – accompanied by her backing band, The Beguilers – played to a packed house, delivering a fantastic performance. The result was pure musical magic. It wasn’t a show as much as it was an event with some special guests adding to the electric on-stage atmosphere. The Beguilers are always top-notch musicians, but their collective talent seemed to reach extraordinary heights Saturday" Live show review by Dan Armonaitis, Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Praise for BlackTop Road
"Angela Easterling is a bright shining star on the country/folk/alt.music horizon! Her gift is so special. She will be able to perform and record as long as she wants to. I loved listening to her new "Black Top Road" CD! The instruments are multidimensional and have a luster that I love. Brought me back to the time the Byrds recorded "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" – tradition meets youthful exuberance! I love the Jingle Jangle guitars on "American ID". –Roger McGuinn (founder of The Byrds) (Jun 22, 2009) –
"Angela Easterling, we now know, is a quietly plaintive singer who rewards attentive listening. Her Blacktop Road, with its mandolins, dobros, lap steels, peddle steels, fiddles, etc., is out-and-out "alt. country,"A lot of the songs here sound like they've been around for years—that's a compliment—including the sweetly yearning cover of a certain Wannabe Southern Man's "Helpless." Produced by the agile and sensitive Will Kimbrough."- Oxford American, Editors Picks for June 2009
"Best Political Country Song" – Angela Easterling – "The Picture"- Daniel Gewertz, Boston Herald, Best of 2009 Music (December 11, 2009)
"Dynamite honky-tonk singer Angela Easterling brings a tough traditionalist sound to ballads and ravers alike on her fine new CD Black Top Road." – Philadelphia Inquirer (Jun 21, 2009)
"If Steve Earle was reborn as a girl, he'd very likely be Angela Easterling. And Blacktop Road is her Guitar Town . She comes surging out of the chute like a spurred bronco, full of sideways kicks, bucking with all the compressed energy of a coiled steel spring." – Steven Stone, Vintage Guitar Magazine (Oct .09 issue)
"Our fair newcomer tonight was Angela Easterling, who brought along her new album's producer, the great Will Kimbrough for a trio set that showed off her grace and songwriting prowess. She's a folk singer at heart, but the title track of her current album was a rocking portrait of her family farm's battles with the encroachment of shopping malls and other sorts of "progress." BlackTop Road bears all the hallmarks of a smart songwriter with a sharp eye for both the past and future." –Craig Havighurst, Music City Roots (Nov. 18, 2009)
"BlackTop Road is soaked in an intelligence and far-reaching historical sense that makes you suspect its origins couldn't be entirely human, or at least that all of these songs and performances couldn't have emanated from one young woman…the clarity and consistency of the narrative voice make (you) feel like you're learning quite a bit about Angela Easterling. Above all else, the thing you'll learn is that, regardless of what may come her way, she'll be fine. There's no stopping a talent of this magnitude." –C.M. Wilcox, Country California (Oct. 1, 2009)
"There's an old head on young shoulders in her writing and she shows that underneath there's a burning ambition to not be good, but to be great…there's a personal honesty and splash of life that jumps out at you. These songs are about place, about family, about belonging and in opposition as much about rebellion, not fitting in, leaving and growth." –Andrew Williams, Americana UK (September 8, 2009)
"Nashville's overripe with young female singers who want to be the next Taylor Swift, or the next Gretchen Wilson. Thanks, but no thanks. Then you have singers like Angela Easterling, whose music doesn't kowtow to commerce – the songs on BlackTop Road focus on her sparkling, honey-hewn voice, etched with traces of sorrow and hopefulness in equal measure. Produced the estimable Will Kimbrough, the CD is pure, mountain-air acoustic country music. Let's put it this way: Think Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss or even Gillian Welch. Very sweet stuff indeed. Highly recommended." –Bill DeYoung, Connect Savannah (November 3, 2009)
"This is a road trip worth taking… BlackTop Road should be the perfect companion piece to Steve Earle's Copperhead Road. On her personal protest song, an angry Easterling verbally kicks ass as some South Carolina land in her family since the late 18th century is being grabbed by the state for development. The song and the singer seem destined for a spot in Farm Aid." – Michael Bialas, blogcritics.org (August 3, 2009)
"If you want an excellent example of what Americana that 5 layer dip of genres has to offer you need to put on Easterling's Blacktop Road. She delivers in her earnestly melancholic voice and her expanded tastes and sensibilities that sound right at home in a honkytonk or a NY supper club…. For all braying about social messages in contemporary country music they are like crayon scribbling compared to finely crafted song like "The Picture".- Twangnation.com (Jun 22, 2009)
"The "back to roots" attitude that Easterling brings to her fine new project transcends any casual lipservice. Fiddles and banjos trade space with slide guitar and some charged honkytonk rhythms for an album that has one foot firmly planted in the traditional southern music, the other in the modern interpretations of Americana. It's a balancing act that blossoms on track such as the wistful slow-dance ballad "Just Like Flying", charming French twanger "Un Microphone" and jukebox raver title track. Recommended." – DirectCurrentMusic.com (Jun 29, 2009)
"Angela Easterling's BlackTop Road is one attractive album. Smartly produced by Will Kimbrough, the set holds originals plus a lovely take on Neil Young's "Helpless". The album's sound is folk-rock, strongly executed throughout." Michael Tearson, Sing Out! (Vol. 53 #2)
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