Cindy Woolfs voice, once you hear it, is not one you are likely to forget. Do not think for a minute that the rural accent that comes through her high, crystal-clear tone is contrived. Cindy Woolf was born in North Little Rock, but spent most of her formative years in Batesville, Arkansas. She grew up singing with her family in the Southern Baptist church, learning to sing harmony by ear and absorbing her daddys bluegrass records. After moving to Springfield, Missouri to attend college she started playing a weekly gig downtown at the Bar Next Door, singing bluegrass standards and singer-songwriter standouts and getting noticed by her musical peers, among them producer/guitarist Mark Bilyeu, who encouraged her to record an album of original material. After relocating to Portland, Oregon, she returned to Springfield for two weeks to do just that, resulting in the 10 originals and two covers on her debut CD Simple and Few. Cindy kept the recording sessions sparse and largely acoustic, drawing help from friends and label mates including Dallas Jones, Brandon Moore and Molly Healey, David Wilson (Radio Flyer), Bo Brown and Jeff Sowards (Hogmolly), Reed Herron (Speakeasy), and Bilyeu (Big Smith). She ventured beyond the traditional sounds that earned her reputation to put forth her more gentle and atmospheric songs. The inspiration for songs like the sisterly Dearest Pearl hearkens back not only to her native Arkansas but also a couple of generations, with pieces of lyrics directly transcribed from her grandmothers diary. Simple and Few does boast some bluegrass-flavored standouts, including Cindys own Nobodys Wife. But whether the songs are informed by the traditional, ethereal or surreal makes no difference. A sense of authenticity surrounds this young new artist, and it rings through, clear as a bell, on Simple and Few.
"You may have missed last years debut from CINDY WOOLF, a native Arkansan who, as Iris Dement before her, comes from out of nowhere possessing an arresting voice. Simple and Few is a collection of 12 well-written folk-Americana tunesthat alternates between wistful ballads and uptempo numbers with the pep of bluegrass. A take on George Jones You Done Me Wrong marks Woolf as a knowledgeable interpreter, but her own material is what sells this gem. The aptly named First Impressions is the outstanding cut, a minor-keyed, bittersweet showstopper.
-Skyscraper Magazine
"instantly timeless. spell-binding. Beautiful, heartfelt, entrancing, Simple and Few is a debut album thats the real deal." Dirty Linen
"(Simple and Few) should have alt-country/roots/Americana folks turning back flips. With her resonant, emotionally charged voice (shades of Iris DeMent) and stirring arrangements-lets hope this is just the beginning of a long, illustrious career." Pop Culture Press
"Here is one of those records that seems to exist out of time. Cindy Woolf is an artist who knows her folk roots, and her gorgeous voice - at once both breathy and twangy - gives the tunes her own unique stamp. Her accompaniment, a group of talented Americana players, including her frequent collaborator and labelmate Mark Bilyeu, give the music a spot-on authenticity. Clarion-Ledger Jackson, MS
