Sorcha Cribben-Merrill

"...Benissan also finds great collaboration with Sorcha, a singer/songwriter…Sorcha fronts ‘Give It Time,’ a song she penned that could have come off the last (only) Relishgruv album. The vocals are sultry and jazzy, supported by Benissan’s background wails and whoops, before giving way to an extended percussion break that sounds like something Mickey Hart might bust out for the Dead’s set two." - Sam Pfeifle, Portland Pheonix

An album with ADD, Sorcha’s Walk It Once just can’t sit still. Like Jack Kerouac in the 1950s, the whole disc has the itch. Sorcha travels down a “Long Country Road,” spends time “Chasing a Moving Train,” rides a “Helium Balloon,” and returns via a “Road of Second Chances.” Along the way, she travels all over the musical spectrum and unveils a suite of musical styles that shows a wide-ranging songwriting ability delivered with an enjoyable and consistent aesthetic.

In fact, anybody expecting touchy-feely singer/songwriter stuff will be pleasantly surprised from the get-go by the jazzy and upbeat “Don’t Hold Back,” with a melody dominated by a descending mandolin line supplied by Pete Morse, who also recorded and mixed the album at his Busted Barn (see “Just a Day Away,” by Sam Pfeifle, February 9, 2006) recording studio. Sorcha displays some serious bravado, belting out the chorus and walking the talk at the same time: “Say what you feel and do what you need to/Don’t hold back.”

Even when the music is slower and more relaxed, Sorcha doesn’t do a lot of holding back. With “Good Lovin’,” she gets pretty damn sexy, using a sultry doubled vocal to croon that she’s “ready for you to give me some good lovin’/I am ready for you to make my head spin.” See, she’s “more of a make-up-your-mind-and-do-what-you-want-right-now kind of lady.” Sounds good to me.

That same aggressiveness sometimes has her sounding like Heart’s Wilson sisters, as on “Barely Survivin’,” but she generally keeps pretty contemporary. “Moving Train” should remind local fans of Emilia Dahlin’s last album, with a driving snare supplied by Zak Trojano and a quick, staccato delivery from Sorcha that ought to get you out of your seat and heading toward the garage to get behind the wheel: “Let’s drive all night/Let’s try/To imagine what else we’ll find, outside/Of this town, this city, this state line.” Here, and all over the album, she opens and finishes with the chorus, in between sneaking in witty verses with smart rhymes like “time,” “behind,” and “North Caroline” (a shortening the Old Crowe Medicine Show are fond of, as well).

That start-with-the-chorus construction gets a little repetitive, though, and there are a few times when she uses an instrumental break as a bridge when a change of pace with lyrics would add more to the song. When you start with the chorus, then finish with chorus-break-chorus, that chorus can get tiresome, even if it’s a good one.

“All Night” shakes it up a bit more. It’s a great slow burn in 4/4 at the start. Sorcha’s voice is at its best come-hither, espousing a night that would make Homer Simpson happy: “I’m going to sit you down/in my living room [she busts out a great vocal bend there] with a cold beer/and if the phone rings/I’m just going to let it ring/cuz tonight I’m right here.” Then it picks up the pace for a pre-chorus (which graduates through the song) and chorus, before returning to the verses’ pacing with a chill electric guitar break from Morse.

“Helium Balloon” and “Lemon Tree” follow, comprising the album’s most engaging segment. “Balloon” features Sorcha displaying some impressive range, dipping down for the finish of the phrase, “when I try to let you go, gravity fails,” with some serious timbre. “Lemon Tree” is some of the most playful material here — “I want life to be sugary, for my sweet, sweet baby/But you’re as bitter as can be” — but the highlight for me is the all-stop that features nothing but finger snaps. Tight.

In all, the album is surprisingly cohesive for a solo artist working with studio musicians who have become her band. The full-band material sounds completely natural, as though Sorcha penned it that way in the first place, and the instrumentation (including a heart-breaking banjo on the title track) is consistently interesting without seeming like random experimentation. But, with all that said, my favorite tune is the final track, which features nothing but Sorcha and her acoustic guitar.

“Pokerface” has a quick and bouncy delivery, with a lilt in Sorcha’s voice that’s very inviting. You can barely hear the guitar, which, considering the strength of her voice, is an indication of a great mix. I love the way she changes the pacing of her vocals while the accompaniment never varies. “I don’t mean to sound so cheap,” she sings, “I’ve just convinced myself that I don’t need to.”

And I’d agree; she’s worth every penny. - Sam Pfeifle, Portland Pheonix

Four women, four bright originals and a Dolly cover leave us hopeful
By AIMSEL PONTI

If sunshine could be recorded, it might sound like Ramblin' Red's debut record, "The Acorn EP." With shiny rays of bluegrass and folk, the four women of Ramblin' Red drop five songs on us -- four originals and one commendable Dolly Parton cover.

Sorcha Cribben Merrill's music, lyrics and lead vocals start it off with "Beauty and the Mystery." Patia Maule's fiddle sets the song up superbly. "Oh I get weak in the knees when you smile/ Oh I'm gonna feel this way for a long, long, long while" offers Merrill, along with her banjo.
Anna Maria Tocci's "Over the Heights" is next, and the fiddle flows through it like a river. Tocci's vocals are bright and full, and Merrill's banjo is full of optimism. Meanwhile, Theresa Workman's bass carries the song, and gorgeous harmony vocals from Workman, Merrill and Maule fill the song out. Workman penned "Sunny Saturday," the perfect cup of cheer for any day of the week.

Ramblin' Red took a risk in deciding to cover Parton's jealousy tour de force anthem "Jolene." The risk paid off with Tocci on lead vocals and Workman's percussive banging on the side of her acoustic guitar. Add to the mix Maule's determined fiddle and Merrill's banjo and, yup, they're winning on this one.

"Wide Open" closes out "The Acorn EP." It's another Merrill-penned ditty, and at just under six minutes long, it tells tales of old-fashioned heartache and forgiveness: "When you came to me like an unfinished symphony waiting for me to finish the score, you're like an open-wide open seashore." Merrill's voice soars, and the harmonies are spot-on fantastic.

"Wide Open" is a slow and rambling tune with an old-timey flavor. It left me wanting more, so here's hoping the ladies of Ramblin' Red continue down the path they're on and gives us a full-length album.

The Acorn EP is available on cdbaby.com and iTunes.

Aimsel Ponti is a Portland freelance writer. Contact her at:
aimselponti@yahoo.com - Portland Press Herald

Four women, four bright originals and a Dolly cover leave us hopeful
By AIMSEL PONTI

If sunshine could be recorded, it might sound like Ramblin' Red's debut record, "The Acorn EP." With shiny rays of bluegrass and folk, the four women of Ramblin' Red drop five songs on us -- four originals and one commendable Dolly Parton cover.

Sorcha Cribben Merrill's music, lyrics and lead vocals start it off with "Beauty and the Mystery." Patia Maule's fiddle sets the song up superbly. "Oh I get weak in the knees when you smile/ Oh I'm gonna feel this way for a long, long, long while" offers Merrill, along with her banjo.
Anna Maria Tocci's "Over the Heights" is next, and the fiddle flows through it like a river. Tocci's vocals are bright and full, and Merrill's banjo is full of optimism. Meanwhile, Theresa Workman's bass carries the song, and gorgeous harmony vocals from Workman, Merrill and Maule fill the song out. Workman penned "Sunny Saturday," the perfect cup of cheer for any day of the week.

Ramblin' Red took a risk in deciding to cover Parton's jealousy tour de force anthem "Jolene." The risk paid off with Tocci on lead vocals and Workman's percussive banging on the side of her acoustic guitar. Add to the mix Maule's determined fiddle and Merrill's banjo and, yup, they're winning on this one.

"Wide Open" closes out "The Acorn EP." It's another Merrill-penned ditty, and at just under six minutes long, it tells tales of old-fashioned heartache and forgiveness: "When you came to me like an unfinished symphony waiting for me to finish the score, you're like an open-wide open seashore." Merrill's voice soars, and the harmonies are spot-on fantastic.

"Wide Open" is a slow and rambling tune with an old-timey flavor. It left me wanting more, so here's hoping the ladies of Ramblin' Red continue down the path they're on and gives us a full-length album.

The Acorn EP is available on cdbaby.com and iTunes.

Aimsel Ponti is a Portland freelance writer. Contact her at:
aimselponti@yahoo.com - Portland Press Herald

"...Singer-songwriter Sorcha Merrill was one of these talented acts. Her groovin' guitar playing and luminous voice were the two driving forces behind her jazz-folk sensibilities." - Lou Grassi, Portland Press Herald

"...One particularly impressive performer was Sorcha Merrill. Armed with her acoustic guitar, Merrill drew a large group of listeners to the stage [at the 2005 Old Port Festival]. She performed original songs and demanded the audience’s attention with her strong vocal rhythms and spicy stage presence..."
- Jessica Dafni, Good Times Magazine

“Sorcha Merrill...has true poise, pure and simple. Her themes are gutsy with social and relational relevance. There was lots of dynamic, rhythmic interest. With a funk-influenced band behind her, much of her stuff would be impossible not to dance to. Her songs are very well crafted, honest and soulful. She has inventive, unforced rhyme schemes. Her vocal prowess was no less remarkable. She has a powerful, chesty voice with tons of low-end punch. There was significant variety between songs. Sorcha is truly refreshing.” - Glenn Torrico, Maine Songwriters Association Newsletter, Sept. 2006

"...One particularly impressive performer was Sorcha Merrill. Armed with her acoustic guitar, Merrill drew a large group of listeners to the stage [at the 2005 Old Port Festival]. She performed original songs and demanded the audience’s attention with her strong vocal rhythms and spicy stage presence..."
- Jessica Dafni, Good Times Magazine