This is Holly Cole's most accessible work to date!
A. Peters | Near Chicago, United States | 09/01/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"From first listening, this album is immediately likeable. Her treatment of Lennon/McCartney's "Norwegian Wood" not only covers it, but redefines it. To many, though, the highpoint of the album is "Make It Go Away" (which was aired on the TV series "Due South", on which she made appearances as a club singer). Each of the titles on this album are excellently executed, giving a balance between the instrumentation, arrangement and Ms. Cole's voice. If you are going to buy one album by Holly Cole, this should be the one. You will NOT be disappointed! (Of course, "Temptation" runs a very, very close second, especially if you appreciate the songs of Tom Waits!)"
She sings a Joni Mitchell song better than Joni Mitchell!
John S. Harris | Memphis, TN | 03/02/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A lovely pop album! Her cover of Joni Mitchell's "River" bests the original! A bit of a departure from some of her jazz-y work with the Holly Cole Trio, "Dark Dear Heart" is a remarkable effort. The choice of material probably doesn't give afford her the best possible showcase for her voice, but this disc will make you hungry for more of her work, past and future."
She Makes it Better
reginaa | Kiev, Ukraine | 09/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Holly Cole's voice and words went straight through me. I never knew she existed and was introduced to the CD when traveling in a country far from home. I made love that wasn't love to this music, but it made it better. Her emotional voice and deep understanding of the songs indeed make her versions in several cases better than the originals. She doesn't have to choose between jazz and pop. She can just come in and softly claim space."
It's a keeper
wm | ...onward....thru the fog! | 12/06/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this CD for "World seems to come and go", which was co-written by Jim White. That song has a signature Jim White feel to it. While the rest of the album is very different from the so called southern gothic genre White is often lumped into, song structures, arrangements, etc. begin to have some similarities to those of Jim White, especially on repeated listens.
Cole veers more toward jazz, and godforbid I use the words, "easy listening", but she also seems to have quite a lot of depth, and there are lots of nuances and different secrets to discover.
I had never heard of Holly Cole till recently, but I understand she's just about a mainstream household name. Don't let either "mainstream" or "household" fool you, because just below the surface, there's lots of little twisted guitars, sultry sax solos, and half whispered voices semi hidden in the mix.
This is great as background or mood music, but also great for closer listening."
The River alone is worth the price of admission!
Marlene L. Crawford | Delmar, NY USA | 11/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"So haunting are Cole's interpretive renderings that you're certain you've never heard the songs any other way. Both Joni Mitchell and The Beatles would surely find nothing to quibble over. Cole's sad and wistful little girl personae reins supreme here. The plaintive tone reverberates and reinvents the ballads."