Mary Battiata

"Mary Battiata sings like an angel, resembling, variously, Linda Thompson, Margo Timmins and Rosanne Cash. Yet she's clearly wrestling with some devils on this, the follow-up to Little Pink's 2001 debut... Even her choice of a Bevis Frond cover, the scruffy, power-poppy 'Stars Burn Out,' reveals a deeply cynical streak (it's about our heroes and their declines). Ultimately though, 'Gladly Would We Anchor' isn't a downer, because by peering into the darkness, Battiata is wielding the illuminating rays of hope." - Fred Mills, Harp (2007) - Harp Magazine

"Absolutely brilliant ... Little Pink's third and best album blends both British and American folk-rock traditions while managing to sound completely original. Mary Battiata's lyrics remind of Sandy Denny, replete with images from nature and pastoral scenes, often painting a starkly evocative picture. Her melodies are terse, catchy and lend themselves to all sorts of commercial purposes. If American, British folk or just plain good, lyrically drive songwriting is your thing, get this album." - LucidCulture.com (NYC) (2007) - LucidCulture.com (NYC)

"When novelist George Pelecanos recommended Little Pink's 2001 release, 'Cul-de-sac Cowgirl,' on his website, he noted singer-songwriter Mary Battiata's 'strong pipes,' and added, 'Think Emmylou or early Dolly, mixed with Richard and Linda Thompson.' Now comes the follow-up CD, 'Gladly Would We Anchor,' 15 songs that should keep listeners thinking -- of Lucinda Williams and Rosanne Cash, for starters, but also of how Battiata, in her own quiet, subtle, insinuating way, earns such comparisons ... " - The Washington Post (2007)
- The Washington Post

"Best of 2007 (Songwriters) - Part twang, part folk, part pop, Battiata is not the most accessible of songwriters, but she is all the more rewarding for that." - John Conquest, 3rd Coast Music
(4-flower review) - 3rd Coast Music

"Every song is good; there are fast ones and slow ones, yet it has a distinct, of-a-piece sound. Not since Little Feat's 'Sailin Shoes' have I played a record more or less continuously, start to finish, and never wanted to take it off." - kausfiles.com (in the online magazine SLATE)
- kausfiles.com (in SLATE)

"Mary Battiata writes and sings songs from the war zone of the heart, where it seems like nobody wins. Except you, if you like music that combines the unflinching honesty of singer-songwriter folk, the beat of low-fi rock and literate lyrics. Mary's fragile-sounding (but not childlike) voice, the sturdy folk and country-rock arrangements and her sharp eye for lyrical detail both internal and external are a potent musical recipe. ... 'Gladly Would We Anchor' is another excellent collection of songs from a gifted songwriter ..." - Gary Whitehouse, The Green Man Review
- The Green Man Review

"Taken from a line by Ralph Waldo Emerson from his essay 'On Experience," "Gladly We Would Anchor, but the Anchorage is Quicksand... " While rooted in Americana, the music does tend to float around a bit beyond that. We've got tinges of folk, forays into alt-country and even a scootch of old-timey rock 'n roll. The most immediate comparison for me is the Cowboy Junkies. ... there is definitely some strong back porch music here. If you happen t own a hound dog and drink homemade corn liquor, yet still attended a liberal arts college and passed with above a 3.0 GPA, you're really doing yourself a disservice if this one isn't in you collection." - Les Enfants Terribles (2008) - LesEnfantsTerribles.com (DC)