“3 Stars!! – Sharp and Clear…..at her most clever, Sharp always leads with her heart and comes across as a performer worth getting to know.”
– USA Today
NPR "Song of the Day" http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111777319
“Maia Sharp: A Songwriter Set To Arrive”
– NPR’s “All Things Considered”
“A subtly ingratiating song, it makes its point with grace and nuance
– NPR’s “Song of the Day”
MSN.COM - What's Hot: Listening Booth
http://music.msn.com/music/listeningbooth/
"Maia Sharp conjures the allure of yesteryears Brill Building
luminaries....Sharp wields her crisp, alluring choruses like a
temptress; listeners will surely be ensnared. Her tear-soaked lyrics and
high-cresting melody conspire for a finely crafted lesson on invincible
pop."
— Billboard
"She comes into her own as a promising performer in her own right on her fifth album, Echo..."
– LA Weekly
“a nifty power-pop record that could be her breakthrough...studded with hard-to-resist hooks, ‘Echo’ trades the folk and jazz elements that colored Sharp’s earlier records for a rocked-up take on the classic California singer-songwriter sound.”
– Boston Globe
“a sterling up-and-coming talent”
– The Washington Post
“Sharp delivers a dozen signature songs propelled by Don Was’ rocking production…..beginning with the guitar anthem “Polite Society” and ending with the chilling self-referential “The Girl on Her Way,” Sharp’s deft turns of phrase and consequential melodies are mirrored in the stoic intimacy of her plaintive vocals”
– Music Connection
4 Stars - The songs (on Echo) are so good it ceases to matter how a not very well-known singer-songwriter hooked up with a well-known producer like Was. As the album title foreshadows, by the end, her acknowledgement of human flaws rings like an all-encompassing echo. But it doesn’t feel heavy, because each song is carried by hooky, instantly pleasing melodies with appealing, sophisticated chords underneath.
– American Songwriter
“…her solid songwriting chops recall the best of the ‘70s writers like Joni Mitchell and Carole King.”
– Curve
“John Q. Lonely” might make you doublecheck the writing credits to make sure they don’t read “Lennon/McCartney” – honest and true....in another time and in another place, Echo would be playing in dorm rooms everywhere come fall, for sure. Maybe it will … it deserves to be.” –
– Jam Bands.com
“Maia Sharp reminds listeners of her prodigious talents as a pop songwriter on the new CD ‘Echo,’ a melodious blast produced by the great Don Was, anchored by master drummer Jim Keltner and featuring a cool cameo by Bonnie Raitt...”
– Minneapolis Star Tribune
“...her finest release to date, an album whose rootsy songwriter pop crackles with shrewd insight, keen writing and a strong dose of carpe diem.”
– Nashville Scene
“The songs [on Echo] reveal a woman with a richly mature sound, a distinctive edge and a superb voice...Sharp's melodies are consistently engaging and her lyrics are clever...in a smart fashion that reveals more provocative layers with each repeated listen.”
– The Springfield Republican
“A potpourri of pop, country and rock with hints of jazz, mixing banjos and mandolins with cellos and violas to produce a sound that’s polished without being slick. Sharp’s free-wheeling approach recalls the spirit of Dylan’s pre-motorcycle crash songs.”
– No Depression
“…. one of the smartest songwriters out there.”
– Performing Songwriter
“Album of the Month – She’s penned hits for a wide range of artists…Now the silky-voiced Sharp is releasing her fourth solo album; it teems with catchy melodies (‘Polite Society’) and pointed lyrics (‘Death by Perfection,’ a hummable duet with Bonnie Raitt).”
– More Magazine
“Echo finds singer/songwriter Maia Sharp recasting the classic Brill Building template within the bounds of the new Millennium.”
– blurt-online.com
“The album is home to 12 striking songs, and Sharp has never sounded better.”
– Portland Press Herald
“Performing as a duo, Sharp combined a strong voice, playing acoustic guitar and keyboards for an evening of enjoyable music. Sharp demonstrated that she was way more than just another songwriter."
– Standard Time (Boston, MA)
“With ‘Echo,’ Sharp appears to have changed her status from respected songwriter to solo artist with a bullet...”
– Birmingham News