"WHAT SHE KNOWS" REVIEWS 2018

 

“This record is out of this world.” Basement Discs

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“Eclectic and classy…a collection of songs played and sung with panache, and shot through with a persuasive honesty and integrity.” BRUCE ELDER SMH

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“I first saw Alison Ferrier doing sound for Jeff Lang, years ago at Port Fairy. Hearing her playing her own music later was extremely welcome. Her voice is beautiful – strong, clear and with a superb range. This also well matched by her musicianship.  Equally impressive are the musicians who played on the album: Jeff Lang (Ferrier’s husband) on guitars (electric, slide and 12-string); Ben Franz (The Waifs) on electric bass and pedal steel; Jason Bunn on viola; and Danny McKenna (Mia Dyson, Jeff Lang) and Ash Davies (Lisa Miller, Matt Walker) on drums.

This new CD has a collection of wonderfully lyrical pieces. I’m deliberately avoiding tags like country, blues or folk. You could probably point to these influences in the pieces, but neither the pieces, nor the CD fit into these categories. She has drawn on all of these and produced a distinctive sound of her own.  Five stars, and as Mollie used to say, 'Do yourself a favour.' The CD is available digitally or on an actual CD. I’d pick ‘Do You Remember the Day’ as a standout.”  

* * * * *  John Lamp Forte Magazine

 

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“London-born and Australia based country/folk singer Alison Ferrier has done it again with her latest effort. She provides outstanding lyrical content and amazing guitar work on this effort, which should establish her as a force to be reckoned with on the Americana music scene. The bluesy sound of “The Boxer” leads to the rocking country sound of “Rest Easy” which leads to the sweet waltz “Do you Remember the Day,” getting better with each song, all the way through the album. The Americana community needs to embrace this artist, who captures the essence of the genre with the multiple facets of her music. Keep an eye on this one – she’s headed to the top of her craft.

“She provides outstanding lyrical content and amazing guitar work...which should establish her as a force to be reckoned with.” LA Music Critic blog

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“What She Knows is the third full length album from Melbourne based singer/songwriter Alison Ferrier. The ten tracks take their roots from early blues and rock influences, but deliver them back up in a thoroughly modern format. At different times in the album, one can hear echos of PJ Harvey and Natasha Khan, but echos are all they are as this is an artist with her own style and her own voice...and what a voice it is. Clear, warm, powerful and intimate. The songs have depth and quality, while the musical performances are right on with sultry lines and tight arrangements. The album is a definite must have. Watch the videos for album tracks Waiting For The Rain and The Cuckoo, then stream and buy What She Knows at the link below.” Floorsheim zipper boots blogspot Kansas MO

 

“Alison Ferrier’s album What She Knows is truthful and emotive. Each song has a logic and a rhythm of its own, grown organically and holding true to the style it demands.

Ferrier’s stories are played from her heart strings honestly and evocatively. The listener knows that she has lived through her experiences and that her point of view is trustworthy.

The listener will want to stretch out, physically and emotionally, rolling every wisp of the album into their limbs and the depths of their soul, appreciating Ferrier’s rocking country style and her slowed down heartfelt presentation.

This is an album driven by emotions and inspired by true experience, it is comfortable to listen to and lively enough to entice its listeners, affecting them deeply and with a quiet constant energy. Listeners should imbibe this alone, in order to properly feel its tender feel.” Altmedia.net.au

 

“Alison Ferrier confidently plays country blues in a way that makes it hard to believe she probably caught the tram into the city for this gig and wasn't jetted in from somewhere on the Mississippi Delta. Ferrier is a very tall lady who cuts an imposing figure on stage. Her vocals are strong and clear, which, in their own way, have a dignified beauty. Ferrier is supported by another guitarist and together produce lazy, bluesy vibes that are at once evocative and oozing with emotion.” The Music

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"BE HERE NOW" 2015

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"I guess you would call this alt country. You might have to, if only because it would take too long to say country punk (Why Did buzzes more than just rollicks along, in a way that says drink more beer), rock (check out Not So Clever as it steamrolls through near the end of the album) and country blues (Damned If I Do's guitars can take chunks out) meets folkish melancholy (Made For Each Other) and gingham country (I Can't Count On You) with a dash of double denim '70s sweetness (Be Here Now, Photo Of You). Ferrier has the help of classy folk from the border country between these genres, the Stillsons trio of Justin Bernasconi, Cat Canteri and Ben Franz, and the songwriting is better than merely solid, so the foundations are good. But what sealed the deal for me was just how inviting Ferrier's voice is and how it rises above each stylistic station on this train line." BERNARD ZUEL, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD/THE AGE.

 

"Ferrier’s second album finds her with a full band, recording the instrumental tracks live to tape in two days.

As a result there’s an immediacy and presence to her emotionally rich songs of relationships good and bad. Ferrier’s voice is an easy fit with her folk and country-styled compositions, able to swing sweet and melodic on the title track, loosen up on the sultry raggedness of Damned If I Do and hit a rich vein of country soul on Old Adelaide. Be Here Now is a polished album with suitably rough edges." CHRIS FAMILTON, THE MUSIC.

 

 

"UK born Alison Ferrier kicked off her musical adventures in Melbourne, playing guitar and fiddle with country outfit The Wayward Fancies. Be Here Now is the second solo LP for the singer-songwriter, following her 2012 release Sugar Baby. While her debut – full of slow sombre songs – was largely a ‘girl with a guitar’ album, Be Here Now is her first long-player with the backing of a full band. 

Ferrier has two great things going for her: the variable tones of her vocals and her ability to craft songs with all the palpable atmosphere of movie scenes. Ferrier can turn a word into a phrase using vocal inflections, and the quality of the recording has perfectly captured her deep, honey tones. In a CD full of well-choreographed moods, ‘Made for Each Other’ stands out with its creepy, stalking vibe, so aptly expressed in the lyrics, “…a heavenly sign, they moved you to the office next to mine”. Jeff Lang produced the record, but limited his musical contribution to ‘Damned If I Do’, with its strident beat and scrap iron guitars. At the other end of the scale, ‘I Can’t Count On You’ portrays the fairy floss pop popularised in the ‘50s and ‘60s by groups such as The Fleetwoods. In a collection of predominantly sedate tempos, ‘Why Did I Fall In Love With You’ stands out with its fast, rockabilly style, while the gong for best melody goes to album highlight ‘Rise Above’. Be Here Now, which could have been subtitled ‘Tales of a Woman Scorned’, has taken the portrayal of Ferrier’s songwriting to a new level." RORY MCCARTNEY, BMA MAGAZINE CANBERRA