rachel.austin

"Almost makes time stand still... Austin's blissful voice soaring like an earth angel and a sense of liberation that recalls the late Tim Buckley. Glorious stuff."  Hot Press Magazine, Pick of the Fortnight

“...lets her voice off the hook in an appealingly sultry, throaty manner.’” Irish News, Dublin

“Her words are open and heartfelt, and melodies linger, creating a perfect balance of emotion and light.” Sentimentalist Magazine, NYC

"Standing head and shoulders above any of her contemporaries, if there’s any justice in the world it’s only a matter of time before Austin commands a higher profile, both locally and internationally." Belfast Telegraph: 24/7

“Some of her music is proudly eccentric… borrows from classical music and folk traditions to create bold tunes and wiggy statements.” Stuart Bailie, BBC

“There is something thoughtful and intelligent about this album... This isn’t background music; it is too beautiful; this is art.” amuze.me

“Austin's voice is like an extra instrument that plays perfectly with the jazzy guitars, bass and drums. Really, though, it's the writing that makes the songs work so well, without wanting to state the obvious, at once haunted and uplifting, yearning yet triumphant.” Daily Mirror, UK

"The experimental nature of the songs on show here puts Rachel at the very periphery of our understanding of what 'female singer-songwriter' material is… it's like seeing the negative instead of a photograph, viewing the bare untrimmed seams of a song instead of the 'front'. This is what Rachel does throughout her set, challenging our notions of structure and melody and showing the fluidity of the formula."  Across the Line, BBC

“There's a timeless quality to the songs and sounds on her EP Age of Wisdom... 'Table Light' has deft touches of bluegrass and the production gives Austin's vocal a detached, ethereal quality, as well as proving that she's got several aces in her deck. 'All That I Lose' almost makes time stand still, with a brass interlude that is rivetingly charming. Austin's blissful voice soaring like an earth angel and a sense of liberation that recalls the late Tim Buckley. Glorious stuff. ” Hot Press, Pick of the Fortnight, Dublin

“Rachel Austin is singing about 'Dear Love' as opposed to 'Deer Love'. She wants us to appreciate the difference, because you wouldn't want any confusion, kind listeners… Some of her music is proudly eccentric. She doesn't really sound like Regina Spektor, but they both borrow from classical music and folk traditions to create bold tunes and wiggy statements. A few times, Rachel almost steers us into a power ballad, but revs off to somewhere more exalted… On the wall nearby, there's a slide show of pictures. Graham Smith the photographer has been following the artist for a year or more, and his shots reveal Austin in many stages of gaiety, creative focus and interesting attire. Tonight, she's wearing an ante-bellum ballgown that might have been cast aside by Scarlet O'Hara around 1861. Altogether then, a top occasion and we all exit with our freshly purchased copies of the new album, 'Hello, My Uglies'.”  Stuart Bailie, BBC

“This Virginia-born singer-songwriter now resides in Belfast. You can hear the rich blend of bluegrass and Irish folk leanings in her voice, yet her EP isn’t only acoustic; the heartbreaking track “Walls” includes a rich orchestral backdrop, giving Austin’s voice a chance to soar over strings, while “Life” uses more traditional folk instrumentation and clever phrasing to novel effect. Her words are open and heartfelt, and melodies linger, creating a perfect balance of emotion and light.” Sentimentalist Magazine, Spring 2007, NYC

“First up is the new Age Of Wisdom EP from American born, Belfast-based singer-songwriter Rachel Austin…  Austin’s latest recorded offering, the first instalment in a trio of EPs, showcases her strong tuneful voice and knack for delicate, memorable songwriting. Lead tune Traveller is a gentle number, an evocative, nostalgic affair picked out on acoustic guitar, double bass and cello with Austin’s smooth, emotive vocal front and centre. Table Light is more explicitly alt-country in feel. Austin lets her voice off the hook in an appealingly sultry, throaty manner, while brushed drums, plucked banjo and a desolatåae, twangy guitar lick finagled from REM’s Drive create the requisite dust bowl atmosphere. Final track, the mournful yet defiant All That I Lose, adds sombre brass to the mix for a dynamic song that allows Austin to show off her range as timid, plaintive verse evolves into soaring, sing-along chorus… To celebrate, Austin is playing a launch show at Blick Studios... This is part of her current ‘house tour’ which finds her shunning bars for living rooms, kitchens and other interesting performance spaces. Contact her via the website if you want to book your own private Rachel Austin show.”  Irish News, Dublin