- Raymond Swennen, ROOTS REVIVAL Radio
Show,
Radio ATL, Belgium June 2002
The Muse's Muse Review
(Aug 28
/02) |
Twangsville
Review
(Sept
/02)
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| "On the CD Straight Up, Steve Elliott and Lucie Walker
have put together a fun record full of what they call 'rockincountryblues' and
I can't improve on that description. You get to swing, rock, two-step and slide
through ten well crafted songs. Nashville better take notes because the
“North of the Border” Canadian players and production on this record
leave nothing to be desired of a Nashville or Austin sound..."
|
"Maybe the
highlight is the vocals of Lucie Walker. What a sexy sweet and slick voice,
that gal can sing. But don't get me wrong, this disc has a fair bit going for
it. There are enough changes of style and pace to keep you interested while
listening. .." |
Translation from Swedish to English, with thanks to Barry
Appleby
Captivating Debut By Country Duo! Original Rockin' Country Blues.
With these words Steve Elliot and Lucie Walker are launching themselves, with a
label that gives a fair description of this upbeat Vancouver duo, who since
their formation in 1993, have done the rounds of a quite a few gigs and
festivals in Canada and the USA.
Their popularity is rooted in the fact that they have in actual fact found
their own pleasant niche. Their music is uplifting but still true to its roots
while fresh impulses also characterize their album debut "Straight
Up" (El-Wa Co), which at the same time reveals a surprising breadth.
Pure-style blues alternates enthusiastically with swing, rockabilly and cheeky
country surf. Everything is permitted in their ten original composition and
nothing is too low not be to be up given a lift.
Elliott & Walker also sing with a sparkle in their eyes. Their lyrics and
music reflect irony, spontaneity and naive charm, while at times a deeper
empathy emerges, as in "Borderline".
Backing them, they have an energetic band whose members play mandolin, violin,
steel guitar, piano, slide guitar and bass. A captivating debut, undertaken
without any commercial ties. Gert Fridlund,
Hallandsposten, March 10, 2001
Roots Revival Radio, Belgium
This is
country music like they don’t make anymore in Nashville. They wrote all
the songs themselves. Up-tempo songs (Feel the Fires Rage, Tumblin’
Down) are varied with mid-tempo songs (A Girl Would Have to Be a Fool,
It’s All Right) and nice ballads (Borderline, No Winner Takes
All). They save the best for last : The Truth is In Your Eyes is a
great country-blues song. Listening to Steve and Lucie reminds me of the Woodys
and Buddy and Julie Miller. This is a great cd for every country music lover.
|
MusicEmissions.com
"I received this CD with
quite a nice press kit for a self-released effort and it brought my attention
to it. Steve Elliott and Lucie Walker base themselves in Vancouver, BC and are
making a very good name for themselves. They play an honest style of country
music and they both share vocals making Straight Up a very diverse country
album. . . Keep an eye out for Steve Elliott and Lucie Walker."
|
Freight Train Boogie
"The
title of this new CD is amazingly apt . . . This CD is all straight up roots
rock and country with none of the poppy frills found on a lot of other
so-called Americana artists' releases . . . Fans of (Buddy and Julie) Miller will like this, as it covers a lot of the same musical terrain, but fans of
pure country will probably like this a little more as the frills are gone and
the marvelous songs hold up on their own, without too much showing off of any
type. A very good CD."
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Alex Browne,The Peace Arch News:
"You only have to listen
to Steve Elliott & Lucie Walker once to realize that they’re the real
thing...
The combination of Elliott’s rocking
guitar and rough edged passionate vocals and Walker’s pure-toned yet
wonderfully warm voice and her sensitive way with a lyric has a genuineness
about it that puts more carefully contrived country acts to shame. These are
real people who sing about real people. Straight Up expands on their live
appeal without losing any of its essence."
|
John P. McLaughlin,
The Province, Vancouver BC
"With a
loose, rootsy feel, Steve Elliott and Lucie Walker seem to be having a heck of
a good time!"
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My Kind of Country
Review by Marlene Slater |
Indie-Music.com Review by Les Reynolds |
Rockzillaworld.com Review by William Michael Smith |
"The bottom line is,
somewhere along the line, Steve Elliott and Lucie Walker came together to make
music. I can only believe that it was meant to be. Their sound is unlike any
other, their talents, respectively combined, know no boundries. With its
broad-based appeal, "Straight Up" is one of those albums that will
enrich any music lover's collection."
Read all of My Kind of
Country's Straight Up review
|
". . .The long and short of
it is just this: This CD has several smash hit possibilities -- commercial, Top
40, mainstream country radio. There's every reason in the world for it to
happen. "
Read all of Indie-Music.com's Straight Up
Review!
|
". . . Straight Up, another
album pointed out to us by Australian disc jockey Eric Black ("Blue
Country Radio"), is a warm, friendly, unpretentious, imminently listenable
roots rock Americana album full of roadhouse jump and grab-your-partner,
dim-lights, slow-dance tunes that would fit in the Broken Spoke or Ginny's
Little Longhorn as well as any of the current Austin faves. . ."
Read all of Rockzillaworld's Straight Up Review!
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Gert Fridlund, Hallandsposten,
Sweden:
"Spicy
countryfunk!10 great original
compositions.This Vancouver duo has certainly found a fresh country concept,
easily moving between hectic countrysurf and a nice touch of laid-back
bluegrass.
Steve
Elliott & Lucie Walker are 100 % present on this passionate
recording!"
|
Fred Smith,
Scene
Magazine
"They call their music
"Rockin' Country Blues" but all their tunes reveal deep country
roots. A tasteful steel guitar and fiddle embellish a mixture of 10 original
tunes ranging from the rockin' 'It's a Cruel Cruel World' to ballads like
'Borderline'.
Straight
Up features great harmonies and superb musicianship, so if you like your
country on the contemporary side, you can't go wrong picking up this CD. In
fact, you can even dance to it!"
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Tom Everett, Hardcore Country CHRW 94.7
FM
"It’s a very, very good record...they are to be
congratulated!"
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Drop us a line! We love
mail!
Email
or write to::
Steve Elliott & Lucie Walker
PO Box 74153 Hillcrest R.P.O.
Vancouver, British Columbia,
V5V 5C8
Canada
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