Cindy Woolf

Somewhere on a line between June Carter Cash and Iris Dement, you will find Cindy Woolf. She is backed on this album (recorded at the Under Control Room in Springfield, MO) by a plethora of talented musicians. She wrote all but a couple of the songs and they're all good uns, especially her cover of the Ray Price/George Jones gem "You Done Me Wrong." Brash at times and pensive at others, Ms. Woolf is a most charming singer/songwriter. I hope to hear more from her and I wish her all the success in the world. - by Doug Treadway

Cindy Woolf's voice is a thing of wonder — not least because she conveys a sense of wonder in every lyric she sings. The twang of this Arkansas songbird is as clear as the bubbling of a mountain stream and fresh as a daisy. Woolf was born in North Little Rock, but she spent most of her formative years in Batesville, where she learned to sing in church and by listening to her daddy's bluegrass records. But she found her own path, and she doesn't easily fall into any genre.

Her debut CD, Simple and Few, would be as comfortable on a shelf between old Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn albums as sitting next to more contemporary soft, folk-rock acts like Iron & Wine. Now she has a brand new album, Before Daylight, with just as much variety and old-fashioned goodness. The opening track, "Blurry," combines back-porch fiddle with the high gloss of a violin. When she croons, "You're always in a hurry / Won't you wait for me," her rural accent is irresistible and utterly authentic and remains so from the first song to the last, the Appalachian blues of "Drive All Night."

Next to Woolf's voice, which I can't help but want to compare to the Billie Holliday-on-helium style of the Cranes' Alison Shaw, the album's highlight is the variety. Woolf knits together traditional country, folk rock and ethereal pop, and on Simple and Few she even pulled some lyrics directly from her grandmother's diary. Wherever she gets her inspiration, it's a thing of beauty. - Vanessa Salvia

If, in two words, I could convey the sound of the human spirit as it echos among the hills, hollers, and springfed streams of the Ozark mountains--perhaps from the front porch of an old log cabin perched in the mist of some lost tributary of the soul--those two words would be...Cindy Woolf. - Doug Elley

From Arkansas via Springfield, Mo. - Cindy Woolf indulges us in some pristine, post-O Brother “hillbilly love-pop”. With a folk twist. Her musicians on here include one Joe Terry and the whole thing really sparkles like the proverbial gold nuggets in the creek. “Sidewalk Stars” and “Portland East to Portland West” are utterly infectious in a Fleetwood Mac from the Ozarks sense. This is vibrant Americana that is blessed with an honesty that is several leagues beyond authenticity. Cindy’s honey-toned warble imbibes the material with a warm, welcoming glow. You can almost hear the crickets and imagine the porch in the twilight.

I am indebted to the Rev. J Wunderle for having Cindy send me this. It’s the kind of album that folks like Bob Harris could really get behind. It is my hope that it won’t be too long before this lady is headed our way to deliver these impeccable songs first hand. Watch this portal. - Lindsay Hutton

“(Simple and Few) should have alt-country/roots/Americana folks turning back flips. With her resonant, emotionally charged voice (shades of Iris DeMent) and stirring arrangements-let’s hope this is just the beginning of a long, illustrious career.”
- Austin, TX

You may have missed last year’s debut from CINDY WOOLF, a native Arkansan who, as Iris Dement before her, comes from out of nowhere possessing an arresting voice. Simple and Few is a collection of 12 well-written folk-Americana tunes…that alternates between wistful ballads and uptempo numbers with the pep of bluegrass. A take on George Jones’ “You Done Me Wrong” marks Woolf as a knowledgeable interpreter, but her own material is what sells this gem. The aptly named “First Impressions” is the outstanding cut, a minor-keyed, bittersweet showstopper.


- Boulder, CO

“…contemplative, finger-picked folk, with the occasional foray into bluegrass excitement…Woolf's voice is much stronger that Dolly Parton's (Woolf is much more in the range of the buffed steel voice of Nanci Griffith). Woolf assembled a band of orchestral proportions, but each song has a very intimate feel. I like that.” - Jon Worley

“It’s not everyday you get to hear someone like Cindy Woolf sing. Her voice, deep-fried Southern style, is soft, elegant, and surprisingly natural. If you’re into country, you own this. But if you’re not, buy this for Woolf’s sweet voice.”


- Vanessa Ciccone, Allentown, PA

“Cindy Woolf doesn’t sound like anyone else, a high compliment in a business full of clones and offshoots. That said, she recalls the down-home country feel of Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, and Iris DeMent. Some songs (“I Told Them All About You,” “Nobody’s Wife,” “You Done Me Wrong”) could have come from the 1930’s; others (“In the Attic,” “On the Floor of the Sea”) have an altogether contemporary tone, and Woolf glides effortlessly between the two styles. The stunning “Cloudy Head” and the title track speak so directly to the heart that they are instantly timeless. Woolf’s lyrics aren’t flashy; they paint multi-layers of emotions in simple, tangible scenes. Producer/guitarist Mark Bilyeu does a masterful job creating a spell-binding package; the music and arrangements add unexpected dimension to the simple lyrics. Beautiful, heartfelt, entrancing, Simple and Few is a debut album that’s the real deal.” –CM, Dirty Linen, June/July 2006 p.93

- June/July 2006 p.93

Here is one of those records that seems to exist out of time. Some tunes, such as the opener “Dearest Pearl”, sound like they emerged from the '60s golden era of female country. Other tunes, such as “On the Floor of the Sea” and “First Impressions”, sound informed by contemporary country-tinged indie bands such as Iron & Wine and My Morning Jacket. Then there's tracks, such as “Nobody's Wife”, which sound like genuine turn-of-the-century hill country music.
This variety is a good thing. Woolf is an artist who knows her folk roots, and her gorgeous voice - at once both breathy and twangy - gives the tunes her own unique stamp. Her accompaniment, a group of talented Americana players, including her frequent collaborator and labelmate Mark Bilyeu, give the music a spot-on authenticity.
Anyone with even a slight interest in folk and Americana should give Simple and Few a try - it won't disappoint.
- Carey Miller, Jackson, MS

Woolf displays enough charm and warmth that even the most jaded and cynical of listeners can’t help but be affected. Channeling everyone from Dolly Parton to Loretta Lynn, and even a little Victoria Williams, Woolf’s capable of everything from incredibly tender and longing-filled love songs to spunkier and sassier numbers.

Besides her obvious talent for songwriting, it’s her voice that really stands out, often sounding like the musical equivalent of a familiar touch long missed or the voice on the other end of the line that you’ve been waiting to hear from all night.

With this winning combination of witty and earnest lyrics and intimate and heartfelt vocals, Woolf exhibits a talent and presence that’s all too rare in this age of tabloid and reality show divas. Woolf’s already ahead of the pack.
- Dean Ramos "Stage Buzz Weekly"

Cindy Woolf adds electricity, subtracts a record label and makes that most intimidating of musical things: The Second Album.


2005’s Simple and Few introduced one of local music’s most distinctive and endearing voices, in the embrace of music as accessible as it was skillfully played. For Cindy Woolf, it’s been a long road back to the starting line, so to speak. The ensuing years saw Woolf split from MayApple Records, then go through not one or two but three attempts to record the songs on her new album, Before Daylight. Three attempts to record the dreaded sophomore album?! It sounded like a surefire bad omen.

Put the questions to rest. Woolf has put together a second album at least as good as her first, and arguably, depending on one’s tastes, a better one. Here’s a vote for the latter. By going electric rather than acoustic, Woolf’s songs retain their inviting qualities and tunefulness without lulling anyone into a mellow-folk trance. It’s also a chance for Woolf to see what other backroads her songs can drive down: “Saturday In June,” for example, has an almost trippy pace and sound, which is a whole new frame for the colors her voice paints. “Sidewalk Stars” and “Portland East to Portland West,” on the other hand, are examples of Woolf’s bread-and-butter sweet songs that get an extra boost from the amplification. There’s a palpable comfort level with all of the songs, as well, due in part to the number of times Woolf and company have played and recorded them. Not only is this the third studio run-through for the songs, but Woolf has been playing them onstage for several years. A stellar cast of helpers, including MayApple friends Mark Bilyeu (guitar, backing vocals) and Molly Healey (violin, cello, lap steel guitar, vocals), doesn’t hurt, either.

The ultimate takeaway on Before Daylight, as with Simple and Few, is Woolf’s voice, which not only doesn’t sound overwhelmed by the buzzing electrics behind it but sounds right at home. Here, just as before, each song sounds like it was meant to be played for you on a graying wooden front porch swing as daylight fades. Or, as the album title suggests, before it arrives. It’s a good place to be either way. - Chris DeRosier

In case you missed Cindy Woolf’s release show for her sophomore album Before Daylight, let me start by recommending you go purchase yourself a copy.

Got it? Good.

Notice how she takes the orchestral folk and child-like endearment of Joanna Newsom but brings it home with a straight-forward punch. In doing so, Cindy blurs the genres, inviting all music fans to sit back and let the songs do the rest.

Cindy is releasing this herself, rather than with MayApple Records, but the production is still strong if not stronger than on her 2005 release Simple and Few, enlisting the recording talents of ex-Flick member Oran Thorntan. However, the key word there is “strong,” as it does just enough before becoming overbearing or contrived like many country pop stars. While the album dips into spotlighting coasting guitar chords and riffs, its finest moments are found in the rhythm and undertone of the banjo and the roosty string tones of the violin and cello. Considering her live experience as a one- or two-piece, it’s no wonder Cindy shines in her more minimalist moments.

Folk-pop is a genre more than tread by the past decade of indie interpretations, but Cindy strips away the pretension and brings legitimacy like only a sweet-voiced songbird from northern Arkansas can.

Recommended tracks: “Our Little Song,” “Drive All Night” - Trey George

Oh, Springfield ... we'd be lying if we said we weren't feeling a tad competitive these days, what with Ha Ha Tonka and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin knocking our socks off. Now here comes Cindy Woolf, all sugar and molasses, putting her shapely Arkansas accent to work behind songs that Gillian Welch would gladly get stuck in a coal mine for. It's humble folk music, but, as in the work of Laura Veirs or Josh Ritter, it earns its bread through the insights and clever turns in the lyrics. If only we could extend our urban sprawl 150 miles south. - Richard Gintowt