nic garcia

We probably shouldn't have read the press release while spinning this album...because as a result we couldn't get the idea out of our heads that Nic Garcia sounds something like a cross between Leonard Cohen and Sufjan Stevens. However we got the idea, any comparisons to these two artists are most certainly complimentary. Nic Garcia's nice, understated personal tunes feature sparse arrangements and wonderfully breathy, subdued vocals. This young man writes tunes that seem to come straight from his soul...and his delivery is top-notch. Classy tracks include "In the Time of the Wolf," "Their Crimes," "Kiss the Highway," and "Onward." Cool stuff. (Rating: 4++++) - babysue.com

Thanks to the new home-recording revolution, (The Big Takeover) has been inundated with Joe-alone records submitted by myriad isolated, apparent misanthrope tin-pot Wilson (mostly male) who need no one else for their thesis. Many, unsurprisingly, prove unimaginative, while other suggest a demo-ish spark that should have been cultivated by collaboration. This one, though, is a pure statement as is. For his third LP, Garcia wants the atmosphere of an empty afternoon church when he pares organ with spare guitar, yet foreboding shatters the North Dakotan peace on 'Their Crimes.' Otherwise, this is a hushed, Library-worthy piano 'n' even slighter guitar affair augmented by Garcia'swhisper-singing little a hesitant Eric Matthews. This makes for a solitude-by-a-cold-rocky-shore feeling - again offset by darker intimations, as on 'The Black Turn Pink' and the title track. All in all, Desperate is gently unsettling and meditatively, quietly creepy. - Jack Rabid - bigtakeover.com

Evocative of empty skies and long car journeys, Garcia takes you somewhere very special. The 'why' and 'how' of it is almost inexplicable – could it me the tremolo of his guitar, the whisper of his voice, the strange ambience of the record, the vacancy of his lyrics that transports you? I don't know, but what ever he does, he does it and he does it well. I challenge you to listen to 'Crosses' and not have someone physically shake you afterwards in order to bring you back. 4/5 - music-news.com

Garcia still delivers in a whisper somewhere between Elliott Smith and Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), he's now just discovered a way to put it to better use. Production might have something to do with it, but it's easy to see that his confidence as a vocalist has grown leaps and bounds. Whether he's letting it sit comfortably between his strumming or float above the grander accompaniment, Garcia's voice has found a new, fresh place. We'd be wise to follow. - hpr1.com