Grainne Ryan — All the Money (self-released) :: Grainne thanks Neil Young on the back cover for being an inspiration and then transcends him by transforming her multitracked voice into a one-woman Crosby, Stills & Nash. Somebody find this woman a record company — fast.”
Jeffery Morgan's Media Blackout - The Metro Times, Detroit
If you're looking for respite for your throbbing temples, Ryan's confident voice and straightforward,rootsy songs are the balm for what ails you. And with songs like the swaggering "Souls and Shoes " (from her debut All The Money ) you'll find yourself recovered, up and dancing in record time."
Eye Weekly Magazine - Toronto.
"GRAINNE RYAN: OTB missed her recent NOW Lounge CD release party, but can certainly recommend the debut seven song EP, All the Money, from this young singer/songwriter. Recorded in part in New York City, it features contributions from such stellar players as CHRIS BROWN (ex BOURBON TABERNACLE CHOIR), JASON MERCER (RON SEXSMITH) and DREW GLACKIN (THE SILOS). Ryan has a pure voice perhaps a little reminiscent of SARAH MCLACHLAN, and her songwriting shows real potential. One to watch. Go to www.grainneryan.com for more info."
Kerry Doole -Tandem
Grainne Ryan may be compared to Lucinda Williams a bit for her brand of alt.country/No Depression, but I also hear a bit of Jonatha Brooke in the way Ryan sings and plays guitar. If you want one of those songs that makes a long country drive home seem endless, or perhaps you want to find yourself driving, never wanting to go home, the atmosphere of "Brace Yourself" offers this. The slide guitar (played by Drew Glackin has a similar vibe to how Jerry Garcia played on David Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name, and true to the spirit of the song, you almost don't want it to end.
In a better world, "Brace Yourself", along with songs such as "Tree Frog", "What You Are To Me", and "Unfold" would be getting a lot of airplay and the musicianship of Ryan and her band would be celebrated around the world. I look forward to hearing what she's capable doing on a full length project, and if she isn't signed by a bigger label in 2008, people are missing out on a true talent.”
John Book – Music For America
(www.musicforamerica.org)
"Americana is a genre (style) so big that it isn’t a genre anymore. It fits almost everything: old-fashioned country, old pop & rock, old soul, doo-wop, singer songwriter, folk, bluegrass, old-time, roots, even old jazz. And it doesn’t have to come from America. It has to say pure and one has to like the old fashioned handwork. Most of all it’s a response against the commercialized record industry, as a result of artists that didn’t fit in a little genre, didn’t get a chance anymore.
Grainne (say: Grawn-Ya) Ryan just released her first EP “All The Money”. Because of that the press called her the biggest talent of Canada. They compared her with Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Sarah Harmer, Patti Griffin, Aimee Mann or a young Sheryl Crow, but Grainne Ryan makes her own country-folk music, with her own personality and her own way of looking at things. On “All the Money” Ryan allows us after all a glance at treasures of her own songs. Only seven songs, but we should be happy with that. After all “All the Money” has, considering the fantastic Canadian/American line-up with Chris Brown (The citizen’s Band, The Bourbon Tabernacle Choir, Broken Social Scene, Bare Naked Ladies) on rhodes, Hammond and piano. Jason Mercer (Ani Difranco, Ron Sexsmith) on bass and banjo, Corey Richardson on drums and the beautiful guitar and pedal-steel parts of Drew Glackin (The Silos, Tandy, The Jack Grace Band, Crash Test Dummies) become a really consistent EP, full of lovely singer-songwriter material. The best songs are: “Cotton Candy”, “Brace Yourself”, “What you are to me” and “Souls and Shoes”, but most of the songs are just introvert beauties, in which this in Toronto, Ontario, living singer-songwriter can illustrate that she is not only a great lyricist, but also a extremely gifted vocalist. Her well made songs are intense short stories, which she sings in a sincere, clear way with a lot of confidence.
The songs “Cotton Candy” and “Brace Yourself” (with harmony vocals of Ana Egge) are just openers of this beautiful EP, that is, together with the other songs of the same calibre, an itimate masterpiece, played with passion and pleasure.
People who love singer-songwriters and the artists mentioned before shouldn’t miss this splendid record.
Conclusion: an absolute must for those who melt, listening to Aimee Mann, Lucinda Williams, Sarah Harmer..................that kind of tender voices with a strong opinion". .....
Freddy Celis -Roots Time
"Seven songs, not quite half an hour, so this is an EP. Usually that warrants at most 3 horses. And only if the offered is of outstanding quality. Grainne is an exception here. With All the Money this Canadian with Irish roots is a great surprise. That doesn’t mean this lady from Ontario is an innovator, but adds a very substantial personal touch to comparisons such as Lucinda Williams, Sarah Harmer and Aimee Mann as well as influences like Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin and the The Be Good Tanyas. That was obvious after just one listening session. Unusual, sometimes plaintive, voice; a voice that can also be very powerful and convincing. This delicate young lady writes fine songs and also hits bulls’ eye with her musicians. Next to her own contributions with voice and guitar, there are among others Jason Mercer (Ron Sexsmith, Ani DiFranco) on bass and banjo and Silos-Tandy instrumentalist Drew Glackin on pedal, guitars, and bass who tastefully frame the whole. On track two, Brace Yourself, the second voice belongs to Ana Egge. Very Pretty. During performances Ryan is accompanied by Corey Richardson, as well as by available friends. On this EP is Richardson also present, his drumbeats varying from subtle (Tree Frog) to – like in the rocking Souls and Shoes- quite powerful. I want to make special mention of Chris Brown; his rhodes, hammond and piano- sounds provide a good, fat sound at times. The only little shortcoming of this fantastic album, brought to our attention by Drew Glackin and Ronald Vos, is its brevity. A surplus of 2, 3 songs of the same level would have undoubtedly added another horse. I would say: bet all your money and buy this wonderful sounding debut at once!" ...
Leo Katestaart – AltCountry.nl
(English translation from Dutch review at www.altcountry.nl)
Sometimes it just happens. A quick glance of the cover and an exciting name together with an abstract (exciting) picture, on the cover, gives you a certain expectation. But Grainne, is a woman who doesn't play the sad blues but nice upbeat, twangy folk music. I was expecting the Bo Ramsay type of sad music but I got upbeat.
You can tell that her mom and dad were brought up in Ireland, some of it rubbed off on her. All the Money has an Irish and Celtic beat to it. The band has lots of help. Ryan from Canada debuts these 7 songs with Chris Brown (keyboard from The Citizen's Band, The Bourbon Tabernade Choir, Broken Social Scene, Bare Naked Ladies), Jason Mercer (Bass guitar and Banjo from Ani DiFranco, Ron Sexsmith) and Drew Glackin (on Guitar from the Silos, Tandy, The Jack Grace Band, Crash Test Dummies). I got no reason for the Blues, she sings in Souls and Shoes. I thought that when I first heard her that she didn't have a story but I heard wrong. Ryan can't whine or be sad, she's got too much power for that. That's not saying that she can't tell a story. She tells me 7 times that I need to listen better. (referring to the 7 songs).
Patrick Donders, Hanx.net
(English Tranlation from Dutch review at www.Hanx.net)
CD: All the Money by Grainne Ryan
(review from Tim's Takes - www.whistleradio.com)
After giving this CD several listens, I find it continues to grow on me, and conjures up comparisons to many great artists: the vocal harmonies, the inter-play of the pedal steel guitar, piano, banjo, electric guitar, brings to mind Blue Rodeo, The Skydiggers, Ron Sexsmith, Wilco, and the Indigo Girls. It defies a simple category; it seems rooted in folk and country, but at times has a rock-edge.
The CD opens with some great pop song-writing in 'Cotton Candy', and closes with my favourite 'Unfold', with just a vocal and acoustic guitar. Its a beautiful and hopeful song about rising after a fall, and emerging, or 'unfolding' from a shell.
The song-writing goes beyond the usual love-songs, and reflects the complexity and ambiguities of love in 'What You Are To Me', and the promise of something better in 'Souls and Shoes'. Some social commentary is delivered in the title track as: 'all the money won't save us now' as we spend our way into oblivion.
I hope to hear more from her in the future, and get a chance to see her perform in Stouffville or surrounding areas
Tim's Takes - Whistle Radio
(www.whistleradio.com)
If you're also a bit confused by the name: Grainne is a girl and we're supposed to pronounce it as "grawn-ya". Sounds good and is probably Irish, her parents were born and raised in the Southern part of that country. Grainne herself grew up in rural Ontario as the youngest of five children, there were generations of musicians before her in the family. At home she heard everything from Irish reels to AC/DC. A picture in the CD-booklet shows her at the piano, composing one of her first songs, only three years old! Grainne's first recording dates back to the same time-period: her own version of Beatles-song "Baby You Can Drive My Car".
Now -years later- she released her first CD "All The Money". An EP, according to the meowing of fellow critics. Well, seven songs add up to almost 29 minutes here and I've recently reviewed a couple full CD's with nine or ten tracks and only up to three minutes more worth of music. So this is a normal, short CD to me!
First thing I notice when I start listening, are the awesome arrangements! Beautifully framing Grainne's pretty voice, kinda like Sarah Harmer - a bit stronger. This is alt.country with a poppy touch and a whole lot of keys, but kept in balance and not plastering everything shut. Especially "Tree Frog" is done in a magnificent way, with banjo, pedal steel and great drumming by Corey Richardson. The last song "Unfold" is quiet, ending in sounds of cars passing by on the highway and proving that Grainne could also get away with an acoustic performance.
In the meantime she plays with well-known musicians, like Chris Brown on Rhodes, Hammond, clav, piano and Casio (Broken Social Scene, Bare Naked Ladies). Jason Mercer on bass and banjo (Ani DiFranco, Ron Sexsmith) and Drew Glackin plays pedal steel, electric guitar and bass, we know him from Tandy, The Silos and The Crash Test Dummies. I praised the production already, it was done by Lurch (The Guess Who, Fred Eaglesmith, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings). Quite an impressive list!
And the lyrics, coming with these memorable melodies? Grainne sings about "matters of the heart, the mind and the world outside", according to her bio. I sure like the way she does that! Let's end with a few stand-out lines... "Somewhere I heard, someone say / That Elvis lives with Kurt in a cabin / Not far from here" ("Tree Frog"). "Looks like this shit will never end / All kinds of people died again / But the economy is strong / It doesn't matter if it's wrong" ("All The Money"). "Souls and shoes can do a lot of walking / While others sit and dream and do a lot of talking" ("Souls And Shoes") or these loving words from "Unfold": "Your soul's been one of torture / But your heart it shines like gold / And as you crawl outside your shell / The beauty will unfold". Grainne wishes us: Peace, Love and Cleaner Air!
Written by Johanna J. Bodde, February 2007.
Review from Insurgent Country in Germany
(www.insurgentcountry.net)
"Grainne Ryan is, without a doubt, one of Canada's hidden treasures. Her songs are smart and her voice is undeniably unique. I haven't seen or heard a performer this talented in a long, long time..."
Adam Gontier - Three Days Grace
"Grainne Ryan mesmerized the audience during her performance in the fundraising concert for Whistle Radio on Saturday evening."
The Stouffville Sun Tribune
"...Memorize that face... because some day soon, in the not too distant future, that young woman might be the hottest new sound in Canadian Music..."
Stouffville Living Magazine