Audrey Ryan

"The musical style is a mix of pop sensibility with a good dose of jazz thrown in. Ms. Ryan's singing style has the sweet touch of melancholy female vocalists from such bands as the Sundays and SixPence None the Richer, but with a tendency for skat and improvisation..." (excerpt from a full article) - Bar Harbor Times (Craig Idlebrook)

"With a voice that's reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Ryan deilvers her musical message with a fine band...Ethereal and folk based, Ryan makes the most of her enchanting melodies with mesmerizing passages and her airy vocals..." (excerpt from review) - Metronome Magazine

"Ryan is an intriguing new singer. She is a jazz-pop artist whose influences would appear to range from Joni Mitchell to Edie Brickell. And she has a high-pitched voice with original phrasing and backup that includes her own impressively syncopated work on electric, acoustic, and classical guitars, as well as her standout violin lines, which lift a song when you least expect it. Ryan has a literary sensibility, writing about the isolation of the computer age, overbearing friends, and the nostalgia of childhood . Most of all, the melodies glisten at their best. This is a subtly effective album. Let's hope we hear more from her..."
 -Boston Globe (Steve Morse)
- Boston Globe (Steve Morse)

Here are twelve original songs from a funky cool jazz folk rock goddess. Sometimes her soprano voice sounds like Joni Mitchell’s jazzier periods, but other times it takes on the flat effect of a modern singer-songwriter. Most of the tunes are structured around her percussive guitar chord progressions in groovy minor sevenths and other unexpected treats. She also plays violin and is joined by a great band that can’t decide on any one genre, and that’s okay by me. Most of her tunes are more about the feel than the lyrics. The words are more like snapshots than a full movie – you’re not always sure what the plot is, but the images are sharp.

“Nostalgia” starts with a finger picked guitar part and is gradually joined by other instruments. Pictures fly by – “politics of the popular, she was so cool with her namebrands jeans rolled up high.” Yeah, I remember all that. The words for “Watch” are a bit sinister. I love how they contrast with the happy 60s style arrangement with the Fender Rhodes and heavy back beat rock drums. “Espresso Bean,” touting the evils of that brown brew, has a groove as deep as an old Earth, Wind and Fire tune (sans the horn section).

There’s the number about the friend with a dangerous edge (“Slick Chick Sly Fly”) and the beatnik cool “Say Can You,” complete with congas. What really makes this disc different is vibes player Al Marra. He’s on most cuts, sometimes in the background, but he starts “Red War,” misleading you into thinking it’s a soft number. But then a slightly fuzzed guitar slams in, with the first lyric not far behind, “You want blood babe and I wanna bleed.”

Ryan's breathy vocals are sometimes overtaken by the band, and that’s all right if you’re only interested in the vibe. In a way, she reminds me of some jazz writers and vocalists who consider the lyrics secondary anyway. I would’ve liked her vocals a bit more in the front of some numbers though, instead of down in the mix like many rock albums. - Indie-Music.com

"Introspective lyrics, jazzy/retro-esque progressions, and angular riffs that craft an infectious brand of eclectic tunes. This is they type of music that could definitely cause a big stir on the college radio airwaves and earn some well-deserved attention..." - Shut Eye Records

“[Passing Thru] is a lyrical album with unique, multi-faceted sound that’s hard to pin down in a good way. The funky, laid-back grooves of Passing Thru are laced with Ryan’s sweet but mellow harmonies and her honest, raw and cynical lyrics..."

-This quote comes from a full review and article on the album.
- Ellsworth American (Deb Cad)

Long live jangle rock, which is in fine flower on Passing Thru, the debut DC by the Boston singer and songwriter Audrey Ryan. Her lifting voice resembles that of the Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan, and some of the slower tunes on Passing Thru ("Watch", "Nothing Left") recall that group's dreamy languor. (Gorgeous vibraphone work by Al Marra makes for even more dreaminess). But Ryan, who plays the guitar parts and a dolorous fiddle, composes in various styles, so there is also muscular funk ("Slick Chick, Sly Fly," a terrific song about a self-destructive friend) and a handful of Latin-tinged songs. One of the latter, "Run", has a furious Afro-Cuban beat and a political lyric: "Modern Western cowboys setting out with their new hit list/ Eyes set on oil, unaware that they're the terrorists." Another Latin-inflected song, the wistful "Say Can You," has a finger-picked guitar part and a winding melody that conjures up the memory of "Girl From Ipanema," and is there a more pleasant memory?"... - Isthmus (Madison, WI)

"On her debut album Ryan sifts through decades of musical influences in an attempt to create something unique and engaging. Upon first listen, the disc sounds anything but formulaic. With its liberal use of jazz progressions, quick temp shifts and a vast sea of musical influences, the album has myriad sounds and reflections. Ryan and co. combine folk, funk, jazz, Latin and soul in the course of 13 tracks- a pretty ambitions undertaking. Ryan is obviously a well-schooled musician, displaying versatility and efficiency on both guitar and violin. A seasoned singer, she slides through the diverse material with ease...Backing Ryan on the album is a band of technically impressive musicians. Casey Abrams supplies short, punchy bass lines that play off of Peter Kelly's agile kit work remarkably well. Al Marra's distinctive vibraphone work nicely augments Ryan's vocal inflections. Littered with electronic textures ["Watch"] is a big departure from the rest of the cuts on the record. It seems like the best fit for Ryan. While other compositions are good, her material is most engaging when injected with the odd chord change or rhythmic shift. As an emerging artist, Ryan still has plenty of time to develop a sound all her own. If she successfully reins in her obvious influences, chances are she will do just that. - Seven Days (Burlington, VT)