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"Jenny's
Soul: New York-rooted rock ingenue Jenny Bruce is building
a cult following with her Smokejumper CD, Soul On Fire.
Produced by Kevin Bents, the set showcases the artist's
broad style, which has been drawing comparisons to Annie
Lennox and Shawn Colvin, among others. "It's fun to be viewed
is such eclectic terms," Bruce says. "I've always preferred
being versatile over doing the same song again and again."
- Billboard Magazine 10/27
"New
York's Jenny Bruce has just released her second CD independently,
but already she's had much success... Hers is an intelligent
record full of pathos and gentle ironies; sort of like Paula
Cole, but not nearly as whiny. This is Triple A as good
as it gets, which means it's right on the verge of being
pop."
- Music Connection 10/22-11/4
"(Jenny
Bruce's) buoyant persona, joyous delivery, smooth vocals,
and tight compositions were a winning combination. The title
track of her soon-to-be-released second CD, "Soul On Fire"
and "Elijah" an ode to a genius street musician,were setlist
standouts."
- Dave Madeloni, Northeast Performer
"Her self-titled debut is a delirious mix of emotional,
narrative, and stream-of-consciousness writing powered by
her elegant, but wizened vocals. A lot of women picked up
guitars to join the Lilith trend, but Bruce is the real
thing."
- Don Moorehouse, Springfield Union News
"The
airborne piano ballad "Home" bears more than a
passing resemblance to Sarah McLachlan's hits of the late
'90s. That's not to say her sound is derivative, though:
she gives a thoughtful delivery to everything she sings,
plaintive yet sincere, with great transitions in her piano
melodies. She also
offers a playful, entrancing structure in "Soul on
Fire," a song that I'm sure truly triumphs in the live
setting. The drums in this track are irresistible for dancing;
a great, great tune.... what I hear in these tracks is a
fine singer and an even better writer, as streetwise as
Beth Hart but with a prettier voice."
- Joseph McCombs Starpolish
This
CD is one of my favorite discoveries. Don't let the country
undertones in Track No. 1 ("Soul on Fire") derail you. Keep
listening if that doesn't grab your fancy, because the rest
of the CD is bound to.
Let me just tell you that "Home" is the gem of the album.
A true comparison to Sarah McLachlan and Mary Beth Mariarz
is evident here as she wistfully sings, "You will walk into
the light/There's a fire burning warm and bright/Open up
the door to a room where they're waiting for you/And you
will feel so at ease/You will know you're home."
These songs that Bruce creates resonate the human spirit
with clarity and warmth. Her voice is gentle with just enough
poetic pain to convey raw emotions, even the darkest. And
she sings about more than blissful love, especially in "Comfort",
a song about the detachment of people in today's society.
This album is straight out of a Dawson's Creek episode,
which is actually where it was previously featured. Pick
it up if you like female vocalists with fortitude. Favorite
Tracks: Home, Anybody Out There
- Discovering Arists.com
"Bruce
inhabits that folky sphere of things that is also populated
by the likes of Shawn Colvin, Suzanne Vega and Paula Cole,
but she sets up her camp far enough away from any of them
that you can't easily trace a path from one to the other.
The closest possible influence I could find would be Aimee
Mann. Soul on Fire is an excellent effort, well worth seeking
out -- really good music from a really interesting artist."
-
John Scalzi, Writer/Editor, IndieCrit
"(Jenny
Bruce's) music delivers. Jenny's voice is lush and attention
grabbing, her songs are insightful, and the arrangements
are top notch. This is a professional musician." Rating
- A
-Dennis
Halsey The Best Female Musicians
"One
of the best indie releases from 2001. A perfect companion
for rainy days and lazy days, its utmost simplicity is to
be celebrated... this album shows what music is. This is
what real music is about.
Glittergirls.com
- by Sharlene
"Songs
that are painfully honest and poetically just... One of
the best unsigned artists out there. "
- Derek Sivers, CD Baby.com
"[Jenny
Bruce's] songs contrast memorable melodies with surprising
pathos...She brings the uncertain edge in song and performance
that brings us back to our real side. Jenny's songwriting
may be rooted to her Manhattan upbringing, as she writes
on the subway, but her urban tales have a resonant spirit
of strength amidst the survival of sorrow that informs all
our lives."
-
Dale Hardman, Greenwich Village
Gazette Online
"Beautiful,
confident vocals make Jenny Bruce's Soul On Fire the album
it is. An enriching, warming collection of Lillith Fair-esque
pop music, Bruce delivers a stunning, captivating performance
with her voice the focal point of it all. From soft, raindrop-like
songs to blissful, bouncy numbers, Bruce can be introspective
and make you think, or she can shake up an upbeat number
that will make you want to dance."
-In Music We Trust, Alex Steininger
"Her
beautifully simple vocal melodies massage your spirit as
she sings about people, life, and various aspects of the
human condition. She will soothe and calm you, you will
sigh and agree. Her style is pop/rock that hints of blues
but not enough that it ever gets cliche. She is honest,
open, and real... Jenny Bruce is the real thing, spinning
her tales patiently as if with the intent to be there when
the dust has settled."
-
estrogen music
"Jenny
Bruce's vibrant voice fronts stately piano pop. Think of
Tori Amos backing Annie Lennox -- or the sophisticated Adult
Alternative Contemporary of Julia Fordham."
-
listen.com
"Some
people are entertainers, some are artists. Jenny Bruce is
an artist."
-
spinrecords.com
"Jenny Bruce has a rich, warm, mature voice that is
a perfect match for the thoughtful lyrics she delivers.
Jenny Bruce does what only a small percentage of singers
can do - she tells a story with her voice and pulls you
into her world. The songs take on a life of their own that
soar above the mediocre and average. There is a pop element
to much of this CD, but to call it "pop-rock" hardly seems
to do it justice, for even the upbeat toe-tappers like "Soul
on Fire" and "Running" seem to have a gospel wash over them
that fill the soul. It is music that soothes, and is a welcome
refuge from the harsh edge that is characteristic of so
much music today. The songs are pure and honest, and leave
no doubt as to where they originate... from the heart of
a poet. Songs like "Home" and the final track, "Amen", are
brilliant testament to that. Some songwriters have the gift
of making you want to be a better person. Jenny Bruce is
one of those songwriters. "
- Elizabeth White, gogirlsmusic.com
"A
collection of radio-ready folk/rock/pop with a common theme
of trying to find the one simple thing through all the chaos
of life. Some lyrics are heartbreakingly beautiful... Her
voice soars sweetly on the piano ballad "Home,"
which sounds like she's describing the journey to Heaven"
- Jennifer Layton, Indie-Music.com
"You
will indeed be lured by the soulful vocal stylings of Jenny
Bruce."
-ESP Magazine
"Powerful and full...Jenny Bruce's CD is something
you can sink your teeth into."
- www.folkweb.com
Jenny
Bruce makes soft, intimate folk music with reflective lyrics.
"Soul on Fire" is her new cd and she is clearly making progress
with it. The song "Heaven.com" mixes computer based metaphors
with a deeper spiritual longing in a very accomplished way.
The song is fittingly awash with heavenly harmonies. "Amsterdam"
is sad but still upbeat. It's a difficult thing to pull
off, but Bruce manages it. "Soul on Fire" is a record that
comforts the listener. It's warm and welcoming and gives
much food for thought as well.
- Collected Sounds.com a Review by Anna Maria StjŠrnell
"Jenny
Bruce makes music like an early summer storm: intense, sometimes
dark, but ultimately refreshing. In her songs the clouds
may burst but they also break. If the sun isn't shining
on her, you still get the feeling she believes it's shining
somewhere. References to Paula Cole or an edgier Jewel might
work... Bruce always takes a clear-eyed look at the distance
between dreams and reality, the comforts of home and the
soul of a gypsy. Had she been raised in L.A., where people
wear cars instead of overcoats, this New York girl might
not have developed the insight her songs possess. "I
hear your voice through the darkness and it's music to my
ears," she sings on the opening track. Listeners may
well share that sentiment upon discovering Jenny Bruce."
-
Music Direct, New Music Review, volume 14
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