Sing You Sinners

Erin McKeown

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 9, 2007)
• Original Release Date: January 9, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nettwerk Records
• ASIN: B000KX0HVO
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,999 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Plenty of contemporary artists have addressed the classic American songbook, but few have romped through it with more playful verve than Erin McKeown. Fans of Norah Jones will find a kindred spirit here, though McKeown's singing is sunnier and her instrumentation more syncopated. (Or, since music like this has become increasingly associated with upscale coffee shops, more caffeinated.) From the giddy rendition of "Get Happy" that opens the album through the calypso spin given "Paper Moon" and the ruminative recasting of "Just One of Those Things," guitarist McKeown and band seem more interested in breathing fresh life into great songs than embalming them with nostalgic respect. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasantly invigorating detour for talented songwriter/musician..., January 9, 2007

By	Sound/Word Enthusiast (Rhode Island, USA) - See all my reviews

...it's hard to believe that this is Ms. McKeown's fifth record (including a collection of odds and ends) -- it seems like she only just yesterday burst onto the scene with her fine first platter Distillation and proceeded to top it with the devestatingly sharp Grand. Then came the more pensive but no less insightful We Will Become Like Birds.

I've been listening to her music for a while now, and seen her live under several circumstances, and it's clear she's a multi-faceted artist, with a wandering muse and a wide array of influences -- boundlessly careening from pluckish punk to sassy swing in the course of a set. I have to admit that some of her gifts as a composer and performer are often undercut by a mix of Ivy League preciousness and a sort of impudence that will likely (hopefully) wear off in time.

A project like this is almost designed to bring out what appeals to me least about McKeown -- her pandering, faux-naif cutesy coquette schtick. To her credit, she doesn't ham it up all that much, and chrages through these twelve standards (and one original) with a nice sense of rough-and-tumble energy. The band is tight and swinging, and Ms. McKeown's guitar playing continues to grow and impress. And she plays a little banjo on this album, instead of just posing with one, which is a nice touch. Her idolization of Blossom Deary (both in terms of phrasing and repertoire) gets to be a little heavy in spots, but I bet most folks won't notice.

All in all, no substitute for an album of new originals, but a pleasant diversion...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good break from her own written music, January 25, 2007

By	M. cox (Orem, UT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Sing You Sinners (Audio CD)

I love Ms. Mckeown's music. I do have to say that I like the songs she writes better than the songs she covers. Although this album is fabulous, (if you like a more retro selection of songs) I prefer her original songs. In my opinion her best album is "we will become like birds" followed closely by "Grand". As my tastes generally lean toward the more upbeat songs, I have to recommend "Paper Moon" and "Melody" on this album, though the acoustic work in "If You a Viper" makes me smile contentedly and forget what I was doing.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fantasic - and now finally available in the US!, January 9, 2007

By	ilex q. "songstress, piano technician, and es... (lust comes into phaze) - See all my reviews

i already posted this review for the imported version, but it bears repeating here:

Erin McKeown does it again, this time wow'ing us with a collection of old old old covers, from Paper Moon to Get Happy, to Rhode Island Is Famous For You, and every single one has this fantastic bounce and shuffle, you just cannot help but smile and bounce and shuffle along with it!! Erin's trademark voice just shines on these old tunes. BUY THIS ALBUM. you won't regret it. the arrangements are great, too, with some smoking brass solos and chilly wurlitzer and organ sounds drifting throughout.

Erin McKeown just seems to get better and better each time.