Archive for the ‘review’ Category
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Early Widows Deserves Your Time (Hero Hill)
Hero Hill notes how the risks Justin’s songwriting contains the sort of risks and artistry that tends to polarize critic’s opinions. But the author is fairly certain The Early Widows is strong enough to unite the camps:
he most exciting thing about Early Widows is that it will change how people think of Rutledge and give people the patience to revisit his catalog with an open mind. As he effortlessly delivers rockers (The Heart of a River) and anthems (if you don’t get swept up by the spirited backing choir on Ms. Montgomery) you are more willing to listen to each and every word he sings, which as always, are moving and powerful. It makes you hear a song like I Have Not Seen The Light , one of the few that could have found a home on his previous records, and realize that even with just a few simple strums, Rutledge is an engaging entertainer that deserves your time.
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“An adoring public suits Justin well.” (Globe and Mail)
Brad Wheeler reviews Justin’s sold out performance at Lee’s Palace on May 8th, 2010. “[Justin] and his fans appreciate sweet sorrow, sharing it like the best Boston cream pie.” He goes on to describe how even with a bolder sound, Rutledge is able to retain the reflective and wistful nature of his material and “find sweetness in the sorrows.” Read the entire concert review here
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An “intoxicating fusion of roots and rock” (FYI Music News)
FYI’s David Farrell raves about Justin’s CD release show at Lee’s Palace this past Saturday, his newfound role as a frontman of a band, and compares The Early Widows to Springsteen’s Born to Run. Click here to read more.
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4 Stars (Ottawa Citizen)
The Early Widows earns high marks from The Ottawa Citizen, who cite “a major sonic boost” from producer Hawksley Workman, “a more robust context [that] amplifies Rutledge’s stoic sensibility,” and “soaring feeling choruses reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s 1978 album Street Legal. More here
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4 Stars (Chartattack)
Kate Harper of Chartattack writes that Hawksley “helped reinvigorate Rutledge’s sound and made him more adventurous.” And goes on to describe how electrified, choir-infused tracks and “Beatles-eque” sounds spiced up Justin’s alt. country tunes. Read the review here
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4 Stars (Eye Weekly)
Writer Mira Seraf describes Justin’s Early Widows as a, “…powerful fusion of alt.country and literature.” -
