Megan Reilly

I edited my profile with Thomas' Myspace Editor V4.4++++++++++++++++++++++++All Music Guide BEST UNDER THE RADAR 2006 "Singer/songwriter Megan Reilly has the voice of an angel. The Memphis native sheds the folkie-pop sweetness of her 2003 debut, Arc of Tessa, for an elegant affair of sad songs. The amber tones of Let Your Ghost Go look at loss with a hint of optimism. It's as lovely as Loretta Lynn's best, and a flawless match to peers such as Cat Power and Edith Frost. Covering some of rock's finest songwriters like Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott, Van Morrison, and Bob Dylan takes guts, and Reilly obviously has the grace and goods to do it." MacKenzie Wilson ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Uncut May 2006 “It would be enough to praise her elegant songs or tone of voice which owes more to Loretta Lynn or Dolly Parton than peers Catpower or Tanya Donelley. But Reilly’s choice of covers is fascinating, too: Dylan’s ‘Wedding Song’ (from ‘74 Planet Waves’) and Phil Lynott’s sensitive ‘Little Girl in Bloom’...a captivatingly sparse album of subtly shifting moods and styles.” Four Stars, Mick Houghton ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New York Times April 9, 2006 “Megan Reilly’s best voice is small and breathy as if she’s not sure whether she has awakened yet from a dream. When she sings about late nights and hazy mornings, her musicians collude, playing sustained parts that tiptoe behind her or hover in the backround. Occasionally she comes down to earth on the fringes of country-rock, but she’s most at home in the half-light.” Jon Pareles ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Rough Trade March 2006 Album of the Week “Megan Reilly’s second album ‘Let Your Ghost Go’ maintains the sense of understated elegance that was apparent on her debut ‘Arc of Tessa’ but leaps light years ahead in melody, musicianship and craftsmanship, outstripping normal expectations for sophomore albums...with the perfectly chosen Sue Garner and John McEntire behind the boards.” ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Other Music April 6, 2006 “(Let Your Ghost Go) comes on like a fever-dream, slow, hot and swooning, brimming with love and death and sadness and joy...a voice both hazy and powerfully direct...a wonderful, timeless sophomore record of quiet, haunting country pop.” Josh Madell ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dallas Observer June 8,2006 “Her light Tennessee accent adds a teaspoon of sugar to both her soft croon and her room-filling high notes, as if Dolly Parton sang in her sleep and occasionally wailed in terror at a nightmare.” Sam Machkovech ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ All Music Guide “Even though Megan Reilly’s second album ‘Let Your Ghost Go’ was recorded in New York City, it’s clear that the singer is much more connected and inspired by her Memphis roots...strummed acoustic chords and slide guitars dominate the record and act as the perfect backdrop to Reilly’s airy, sometimes quavering voice. But that shakiness is just a technique she uses when she wants to accent the emotion of the music, like the title cut, a kind of love song, in which Reilly sports a vibrato that would make Dolly Parton proud...it’s an atmospheric record but it’s also direct and the songs can and deserve to be listened to individually...including a fantastic version of Phil Lynott’s ‘Little Girl in Bloom.’ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chicago Tribune March 17, 2006 “Megan Reilly’s ‘Let Your Ghost Go’ finds poetry in the everyday. Her deceptively gentle alto voice values understatement, but it’s also capable of cutting through contemplation with a wail...Reilly’s got the sensitive poetic thing down, but it’s the unexpected toughness that makes ‘Let Your Ghost Go’ a keeper.” Greg Kot ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Harp Magazine April 2006 “Let Your Ghost Go’s lush instrumentation and arrangement is a mixture of Irish and Southern myth and mystique. The often delicate tones and sleepy tempos recall a bit of both sides, for a captivating dual-ambience in which Reilly coos, mourns, laughs, fumes, dreams and loves. She’s where it all comes together.” Randy Harward ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cincinnati City Beat March 15, 2006 “Megan Reilly’s debut ‘Arc of Tessa’, the moodily electrifying Folk Pop gem, shimmered with a quiet intensity at the intersection of Emmylou Harris and Nick Drake...‘Let Your Ghost Go’ is another stunning triumph for Megan, whose first two albums give the impression that she has an inexhaustible supply of contemporary classics within her. A-” Mike Breen more ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chicago Reader March 23, 2006 “For her second album, the new ‘Let Your Ghost Go’, Memphis-raised singer Megan Reilly is backed again by a band filled with heavyweights...but the players don’t draw attention to themselves, showing an admirable restraint around Reilly’s breathy, delicate voice and letting the songs reveal their charms softly. Mostly the mildly twangy arrangements percolate gently as Reilly whisper-sings through the bittersweet melodies. When she does lean into a song, her voice cuts through like a scythe, but even on a more aggressive number like ‘Tropic of Cancer’ she judiciously uses her firepower, which makes her emphatic gestures that much more effective.” Peter Margasak ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Guitar Player April 2006 “Megan Reilly’s wispy voice gives many of the songs on ‘Let Your Ghost Go’ the feeling of haunting lullabies---Reilly’s guitar arrangements are simple and unobtrusive, and they let you get lost in the feel of her songs. But, occasionally, she throws in some unpredictable chords that suprise you, and pull your attention to her playing...a work of mysterious and unconventional beauty...and from a female perspective, it’s always cool hearing a woman do her own thing with such grace.” Katie Garibaldi