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 Kim RicheyKim Richey is one of those great singer/songwriters that once discovered, you cannot understand why she is not the household name her abundant talents demand. After writing huge hits with Radney Foster and Trisha Yearwood in the 90's, she has released a string of brilliant solo albums, culminating after a five-year wait in her July 10, 2007 release Chinese Boxes. Exquisitely produced by Giles Martin (the son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin) and recorded in London, Chinese Boxes is a floaty pop-folk masterpiece replete with songs dealing with the complexity of relationships and revealing a growing wisdom. Kim also continues to write songs for other artists, most recently for Brit pop sensation James Morrison, and on 7 July, 2007, she performed in Washington as part of Live Earth. Nashville-based singer-songwriter Peter Bradley Adams attracted the attention of some big names with his previous duo project Eastmountainsouth--Robbie Robertson (of The Band) signed them to Dreamworks Records, and the album (produced by Mitchell Froom) made number one on AAA radio charts. The first track from the album, a cover of Stephen Foster's classic Hard Times was selected for the soundtrack of Cameron Crowe's movie Elizabethtown. Following on from this success, Peter recently released his first solo album, Gather Up. Songwriter gladly wanders outside the box (or boxes) Kim Richey’s first album in five years is not as much a return to form as a joyous abandonment of it. Whereas Richey’s previous work relied heavily on expert songcraft and a particular world-weariness, “Chinese Boxes” finds her stepping into brave new sonic territory while digging even deeper into the inexhaustible resource of human relationships. “Chinese Boxes” is a testament to resilience, an encouraging soundtrack for emotional expansion. (Paste Magazine, 4 stars)
A triple-A gift... The sold out June 19 concert at The Living Room on the Lower East Side, spotlighted a singer/songwriter who is at the top of her game. Richey delivered several songs from the new album, including lead single “Jack and Jill” and the glorious title track. (Billboard)
Time changes everything Kim Richey comes from a Nashville country background and earned her alt-country stripes back in the day, but she’s clearly been a sophisticated pop ingénue on her last few records. The transformation is complete. There’s not a trace of twang on Chinese Boxes, even when she’s singing lines about a train in the distance. Americana’s loss is the listener’s gain. Richey’s gone from being home on the range to offering a range of songs that belong in every family’s home. Her new album contains 10 songs that would rule the charts in a land where Marshall Crenshaw was king, Aimee Mann queen, and The Beatles never put out another record after Revolver. (Pop Matters)
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