Carly Jamison
  • Bring It On
  • Doubt
  • Ask Me If I Give A ****
  • The One With You
  • The Hills Of Jericho
  • Self-Consumed
  • Look Where It's Coming From
  • No Control Anymore
  • This Big Old Bottle
  • Dreaming
Press

Album Review - Skope Magazine
It’s a good thing that the semi-reclusive Carly Jamison took the urging of producer Tres Sasser, and brought her internet-only songs to disc form. The first thing that grabs you is the vocal delivery. Jamison’s deep, sultry vocals are the likes of Melissa Etheridge meets Patti Smith. The next thing that grabs you is the emotive, unapologetic lyrical matter. But the highlight moments of the album don’t stop there… with the cavalcade of backing artists the musicality of the tracks is of equal merit. Part rock and country-kissed just enough, the album is a 10-track collection of “something for everyone.”

The album opens to “Bring It On”, complete with catchy, country-fried guitar work supplied by Dan Baird (The Georgia Satellites) that matches well with the in-your-face lyrics piped through Jamison’s unique, breathy vocal tone. All in all, a nice representative taste of the album fare. “Doubt” features more of Baird’s riff work as Jamison channels Chrissie Hynde on the vocals while painting a picture of a woman scorned. The acoustic ballad “Self-Consumed” features Jamison crooning more lamentable lyrics, country blues style with intermittent guitar fills and slight percussion. “This Big Old Bottle” is a honky stomp country rocker that will surely blow the dust off the boots. Again, defeated lyrics adorn the country musicality in what can only be labeled an honest country/rock mash-up.

Jamison truly put her best foot forward and came out of the gates with a very good first outing. The “shoot from the hip” lyrical matter, unique vocal tonality and effortless genre borrowing of the album make this a more than respectable debut. This is album-making as it should be.

Album Review - The Rock And Roll Report
Carly Jamison hails from New York City where she started grabbing people’s attention a few years ago posting her songs on the Internet using the moniker A Girl and A Guitar. The first thing that grabs your attention is Carly’s deep alto voice. That deep register gives her voice a sultry, even sexy quality to it. When you take that alto voice and combine it with Jamison’s guitar playing, it’s hard to ignore her ability as a musician.

In 2010, Carly Jamison released her first studio album, Everything Happens for a Reason. The album was produced in Nashville with an all-star cast of characters. Among them were album producer and bassist for the release Tres Sasser, former Georgia Satellite Dan Baird on guitars, and well-known studio and touring drummer Keith Brogdon. Together with Vance Powell and Richard Dodd who helped mix and engineer the album, the entire group of artists (which included Jamison, as she plays acoustic guitar) filled out Jamison’s sound. Carly created her music with just an acoustic guitar; but with the musicians assembled for the project, her music now has real depth to it.

While most music today is created in the studio laying down one track at a time, Carly Jamison’s Everything Happens for a Reason was created the old-fashioned way: The band played the songs together and then overdubs were added. This ensemble way of recording gives the songs warmth not found in much of the music that is released today.

The music on Everything Happens for a Reason by Carly Jamison combines elements of country, blues, as well as rock into one style that seems to complement Jamison’s writing style. Taking these styles to create the music also gives Jamison’s songs a little variety in the way they feel and the way they sound.

Right from the first track, you can tell the power of the lyrics written by Carly Jamison. On the album’s first track of “Bring It On,” Jamison gives the impression that she will not take anything laying down. The power of the lyrics is matched by the solid rock music produced by the musicians who helped create the album.

The guitar of Dan Baird gives just a hint of country flavor to the song “Doubt”. This track also prominently features Jamison’s talent on the acoustic guitar for the first time on the album.

With the track “Ask Me If I Give a Sh–,” the power of Jamison’s lyrics really shine through. While the lyrics are all Jamison’s, the music has a feeling that is somewhat reminiscent of the song “All Over Now” by The Rolling Stones.

“The One With You” could easily be the song with the most commercial appeal to it. The lyrics lend themselves to being arranged for a male/female duet single. The song also has enough of a twang that you can almost hear a “crossover” possibility to the song. The beginning 20-second “concerto” created by engineer David Henry adds a nice touch to the start of the track; although, the concerto should also have been incorporated into the rest of the song as well.

The album picks up with “Look Where It’s Coming From”. The track starts off with a strong drumbeat provided by Keith Brogdon and then picks up speed. One of the strongest songs on the album, it contains one of the heaviest guitar solos by Dan Baird on the entire release. The song also contains one of the best messages in music today.

If any song on Everything Happens for a Reason by Carly Jamison screams “hit single,” it would probably be “No Control Anymore”. It’s the perfect length for radio airplay, the music is strong, and the lyrics in the chorus are simple enough and infectious enough to sing along with.
“This Big Old Bottle” is another song on the album that is very strong. The track features a rockabilly flavor to the music that could easily remind you of Carl Perkins.

Carly Jamison’s release of Everything Happens for a Reason finishes up with the ballad “Dreaming”. “Dreaming” is a song about a lost love. The track perfectly ends the album on a gentle and emotional note.

From her time as A Girl and Her Guitar until today, Carly Jamison has made a lot of strides as a musician. And her new album of Everything Happens for a Reason proves she is one singer-songwriter that deserves to be heard.

Album Review - Hooked On Music
In her own “personal radio station”, which plays in her head always, Carly Jamison mostly listens to songs by the Rolling Stones as well as Billy Joel, some country tunes and other related formats and somehow the right song for the right occasion seems to pop up always. Amidst all these songs however occasionally also ideas for some compositions of her own sneak in and with “Everything Happens For A Reason” the young lady now presents the result of her minds games. You should be careful not to ask whether that is necessary, as she might throw “Ask Me If I Give A ****” in your direction. She doesn’t mess around and that’s also why she recorded this album in only two days. A few cosmetic fixes were applied afterward.

No less than Dan Baird took part in the studio sessions, which makes you think that this session was not for the weak and feeble. Nonetheless our guitar slinger took only a background role and was not hired for production, as Tres Sasser is credited as producer. In addition to these two, some other high calibre musicians took part, but the scene clearly was dominated by Carly Jamison.

So what does the result sound like? Frequently the record is headed in a country direction – after all we are in Nashville – mostly though with some rough edges, so we’ll have to refer to this probably as country rock. Not surprisingly the lady with the surprisingly mature voice is not mincing words. For instance in the hard rocking “Bring It On” she states “If you wanna fight, just start with me tonight!”. Watch out ladies and gentlemen.

The music is definitely catchy and you find yourself tapping your toes right away. Of course that works even better in the vibrating country swamp rock of “Doubt”. This song could well have been a staple in the repertoire of John Fogerty or his CCR colleagues. The already mentioned “Ask Me If I Give A ****” shows off a great country hip drive in the style of Texas boys like Doug Sahm, as does the party ready “Bottle Rockets”. Of course our girl also has a more tender side and according feelings. Even though “The One With You” is not the sweetest love declaration the melody sucks you in and is suitable to warm the heart of every cowboy. During this song Dan Baird on lead guitar takes a much bigger role and his solo evokes similarities to his “All Over But The Crying”. Great fun.

The biggest fun though is “The Hills of Jericho” as this midtempo ballad is the type of song that makes you think you’ve always known it and having sung along with the hooky chorus many a times. Could be a total hit, great tip for leadoff song on a playlist and a potential radio favorite. Many artists take years to come up with a track like this. Closest to country is the smooth balladesque “Self Consumed” whose edgy lead guitar reeks of late nights and also serves as a reminder of Bottle Rockets.

Next up is a real stomper though, “Look Where It’s Coming From” which rocks and hits hard. This should suffice to heat up any saloon or pub for some collective crowd participation. Sounds like a mix of 70′s glam and late 80′s country rock.”No Control Anymore” reminds me a little of Dave Edmunds. Doesn’t quite have his “Monkey Beat” but comes straight at you and features a good combination of acoustic and electric guitar. Should work really well Live. It’s back to an inspired Hillibilly Stomp with “This Big Old Bottle”, which invites you to take a spin on the dance floor. Nice twangin’ rock. “Dreaming” ends the album on a dreamy note and shows off once again the softer side of Carly Jamison. There’s even a featured string section, without the song becoming schmaltzy. Reminds me somewhat of a nice Irish ballad.

The singer delivers an impressive debut album and shows that there is quite a reservoir of potential still untapped. It makes me look forward already to following her future development. For now I’ve just added her album to the radio station in my head.

Album Review - Lucid Culture
Carly Jamison is tough and fearless and funny as hell sometimes too. What a breath of fresh air – in a world of wussy waifs and wannabe Jersey Shore skanks, she’s a rare individual voice making smart, accessible, kick-**** Americana-flavored rock. Whether she’s pissed off, or daring you to do something, or cracking a joke, she sings low and confident, casual and conversational. The conversation might go something like this: “Don’t **** with me.” Her new album Everything Happens for a Reason has to be one of the best driving albums of recent years – it’ll keep you awake on the way to work, and bring you back to life on the way home. It sounds like a vinyl record, like one of those great Georgia Satellites records from the 80s – that fat backbeat, that whiplash snare drum sound, the way the bass rises as the chorus kicks in and all that kick-**** Stonesy guitar. A lot of that has to do with the fact that Dan Baird of the Satellites (and the Yayhoos) plays guitar here, and he might be even better now than he was then.

The opening track, Bring It On sets the stage nonchalantly with scorching layers of guitar, Jamison coyly sliding up to her notes. As is the case throughout this album, the little touches mean a lot – the drum break just before the end, a slide up on the bass and some tremolo-picking from Baird in the distance as it fades. Doubt – as in “there ain’t no doubt” – works a John Fogerty swamp-blues hook and neat layers of acoustic and electric guitars, the first of several kiss-off anthems. “What doesn’t kill us makes me stronger, and I’ve been through many worse things than this,” Jamison asserts knowingly. The classic, a song that needed to be written, is Ask Me If I Give a ****, the kiss-off song to end all kiss-off songs. “I’ll look into your eyes and tell you where to go,” Jamison sings practically in a murmur, and it just gets better and better from there. A string section with a woozy phaser effect kicks off The One with You, which might be a cheating song, or it could just be a regret song, Baird again putting the rubber to the road with those big, simple, turbocharged riffs.

The mostly acoustic Hills of Jericho chronicles teenage lust triumphing over conformity, with nice high harmonies by Joslyn Ford-Keel: “I once believed in all their stories, I once believed in all their lies,” Jamison admits, but she doesn’t anymore. Self-Consumed is another go-to-hell number, this one for a selfcentered jerk, anchored by some wry baritone guitar. A Stonesy stomp, Look Where It’s Coming From is a dis aimed at a big bullshitter; No Control Anymore starts out tense and acoustic, threatening to fly off the hinges at any second, and when the electric guitars kick in on the chorus it’s soooo satisfying.

After the reverb-drenched honkytonk blues This Big Old Bottle, the album ends with what should be the single, Dreaming, an Orbisonesque noir tremolo-pop song with some tasty violin textures as it builds. It’s simple enough to fool the programmers, real enough to sink its hooks into you and not let go. Maybe this can be Jamison’s sneak attack on country radio – country radio is rock now after all, and it’s overdue for an antidote to all those Shania Twain wannabes. A self-taught musician and songwriter based in New York, Jamison seems more of a creature of the studio than a live performer; here’s hoping this album gets her songs the exposure they deserve.

Album Review - Indies And The Underground
“Cee-Lo’s “F*ck You” might have found a kindred spirit in New York-based country-pop/rock singer Carly Jamison. The singer lays out her feelings for any potential detractors in the frank and hilarious “Ask Me I Give A Sh*t.” Fortunately Jamison’s deep, smoky voice, backed by bluesy guitars and smooth harmonies, has plenty of attitude to back up such a bold statement.

“If you wanna start with me/Bring it on” she snarls on the tough-talking continues on “Bring It On,” while “Doubt” finds Jamison kicking herself for falling for a two-timing loser who only gave broken promises and disappointments. She kicks the bum out of course. The singer shows her softer side on “The One With You” a tale of young love lost set to a country-pop soundtrack. “The Hills Of Jericho” varies the subject matter a bit, with lyrics about breaking free of old traditions and the mind-numbing influence of advertising and television.”

Album Review - BabySue.com
“There’s so much great pop and rock music coming out of Nashville, TN these days…it seems like a real shame that your average music consumer only associates the city with phony carbonated country slop/pop. Okay, so Carly Jamison is actually from New York…she recorded Everything Happens For A Reason at True Tone Recording studio, so it has that cool Nashville kinda vibe. It would be difficult to discuss Jamison’s music without making the obvious comparison to Chrissie Hynde (she has the same kind of deep sultry voice that has made Hynde a favorite among music fans for decades). Lots of big names were involved in the recording and release of this album. It has a big slick sound and could easily catapult Jamison into the big leagues in no time at all. The songs are pure pop infused with some definite bluesy threads. Super slick pop/rockers include “Bring It On,” “Ask Me If I Give A ****,” “No Control Anymore,” and “Dreaming.” Good solid stuff that packs a powerful punch.”

Album Review - Altcountry.nl
English translation courtesy of author/photographer Jan De Hoon:

Tres Sasser is a producer from Nashville with a history in punk and possibly known for his cooperation with Will Hoge. From this moment on he should be known for introducing Carly Jamison, an amazing new name from New York. Everything Happens For A Reason (Desktop Recordings) is her flaming debut album. We have been waiting for this new record for years, without being aware of it. This record brings altcountry from Nashville to New York and back again. This exciting record carries the same energy and enthusiasm as did the debut and third album (Musical Shapes) of Carlene Carter. On these records you could hear the American stepdaughter of Johnny Cash working together with top bands of English pub rock like The Rumour (Graham Parker’s band), Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner and members of Clover. Those were the days. Everything Happens For A Reason gives you a similar thrill. In Nashville, Tres Sasser teamed this girl from New York with guitarist Dan Baird, and this worked out to be a great combination. The story: Carly Jamison wrote some numbers for herself and puts them on the internet, without any illusion of making a career in music. She doesn’t respond to an email from producer Tres Sasser proposing to work together. Writing songs is more of a hobby to her and she can’t imagine herself being a singer. A year later Sasser connects with her for a second time. This time she accepts his offer. What is so exceptional about this record? First of all it is the voice of Jamison: hoarse, low and sexy. I told you once, I told you twice / That I don’t need your bad advice. These are the first lyrics of Bring It On and you can hear immediately that Carly knows what she wants. I told you once, I told you twice / I’m past the point of being nice. This amazing voice sounds half like Marshall Chapman (probably the most beautiful female voice in altcountry) and half like Cherry Vanilla ( with Bad Girl she made an amazing punk record in London in 1978 ). The razor sharp songs of Jamison are bold in a way we are not used to in altcountry. Ask me if I give a **** and I’ll tell you I don’t / Ask me if this will ever change my mind, you know it won’t / If you ask me to compromise, I’ll have to tell you no / I’ll look into your eyes and then I’ll tell you where to go… Look Where It’s Coming From has a beat like Slade and Status Quo, and some singers add some pure soul to it. Wow, what an amazing record this is. Everything Happens For A Reason by Carly Jamison! Buy it! Find this record on CD Baby.

Album Review - RootsHighway.it
English translation courtesy of Fabio Coachfabio Fumagalli.

The lights are lowered, the audience noise increases, Carly Jamison takes the stage: a hoarse voice, deep but also sweet and soulful envelops you, sharp guitars shoot up to make you jump, soul and gospel flavors but especially a lot of healthy and genuine rock’n roll penetrates you and does not leave you easily. Everything Happens For A Reason is a disc burning with as much passion as the matches shown on the cover, you will stay up and above that it will keep you dancing from start to finish. Possessing a voice very intense and very sexy, which may approach those of Patti Smith and Linda Perry, Carly Jamison is a songwriter from New York. After writing several songs and posting them on the internet anonymously, the producer Tres Sasser (known to work with Will Hoge) gets in touch with her for a possible collaboration, but Carly refuses the offer having no desire to sing or end up in a recording studio. A year later, when her life was not turning the right way, Tres tried again with another offer and Carly, in the perfectly “wrong moment”, could not refuse, taking the chance. Recorded at True Tone Recordings in Nashville, the collection sees the presence of a bevy of world-class musicians beginning with Dan Baird, with his unique style and his riff, putting his trademark on the entire album, then Keith Brogdon (Cheap Trick) on drums, the same Tres Sasser on bass and David Henry (Steve Earle, Cowboy Junkies) on strings.

Carly starts to make room on the stage with the opener Bring It On: an unmistakable guitar riff and choruses of good Olivia Mack and Joslyn Ford-Keel (a constant presence in the entire album) give the song a southern flavor so familiar to the former Satellites, while the plot of electro-acoustic Doubt takes us into soul territories full of energy as in the self-titled disc of Mother Station. Ask Me If I Give a **** is a beautiful song, tense, a sort of electric waltz with a powerful rhythm section that move the boots on the dance floor. After the storm of the first three tracks it comes a bit of peace with The One With You, a nocturnal ballad introduced by the violin and the perfect drums rhythm. A great piece that goes directly to the heart.

The Hills Of Jericho (a potential hit) and Self-Consumed sound like ballads of the past with gospel and country accents, enhanced by the background voices. No Control Anymore it seems, at first listen, a Status Quo song, which then turns into a song full of pathos and energy, with the superb voice of Carly to hold your hand. Look Where It’s Coming is bluesy and amusing while This Big Old Bottle is primal rock’n'roll in Eddie Cochran style. Carly is also able to make you cry with the closing Dreaming a tender acoustic ballad and romance with a disarming beauty.

Open the doors and turn off the lights; a bomb from the blue light up your hearts and Carly Jamison will be able to show you the right path to follow, that of real Rock ‘n Roll.

Album Review - BealeStreet.be
“Producer/guitarist Dan Baird was the producer of the fine album “Sometimes You Gotta” by Stacie Collins (see cd reviews). It seems this tasted more like Cristal Alken (a Belgian Pilsner Beer), because recently this man, with his Georgia Satellites history, went into the studio with Carly Jamison for her debut album “Everything Happens For a Reason”. He accompanied Jamison on guitar and Tres Sasser produced the album, which seems to have been a good choice.

New York meets Nashville… contrary to what you would expect, this roots rock with an urban attitude is well received on this side of the ocean. Although the opinions are divided, Bealestreet Belgium agrees that this threesome might be a success, contrary to the idea of the triumvirate Van de Lanotte / De Wever / Di Rupo (these are Belgian politicians who hold opposing viewpoints).

The open sound of “Bring It On”, “This Big Old Bottle” and “Ask Me If I Give A ****” clearly reminds you of the English pub rock of the mid seventies, when a combination of rock, roots, blues and country made history. Indeed: “Look Where It’s Coming From “!

On “Doubt” you hear a CCR intro, Ray Davies would have signed for “The One With You”, with David Henry on strings and with “Self-Consumed” Carly Jamison gives shape to the true existence of a Girl and a Guitar. “No Control Anymore” you will find shortly on the playlist of Status Quo and with “Dreaming” she finishes her album, this lady with a unique vocal tone … low, deep and sexy. A great debut. (SWA)”

2
  • Members:
    Carly Jamison - Singer/Songwriter
  • Sounds Like:
    Alt. country rock infused power pop.
  • Influences:
    All those who have gone before...
  • AirPlay Direct Member Since:
    01/14/11
  • Profile Last Updated:
    08/14/23 15:21:17

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