Linda McLean

CD: Betty's Room

Limburgs Dagblad, Netherlands

'Betty's Room', released by CRS , is the title of her debut CD, on which she relates about love, fears and struggling and losing, in a style that is both poetic and direct, drawing from her personal experiences. Her crystal clear voice is pleasant-emotional, with the occasional sob and a rich pallet of musical textures. Equally the songs are brimful of nice, melodic twists and turns, frequently leading up to choruses that are easy on the ear. Several critics have compared Linda McLean to Joni Mitchell, but I don't agree to that. In her music - folk, country, rock ø I spot other Canadian artists like Lynn Miles (the voice) and The Cash Brothers (the mosaic of guitars). The album structure is very neat indeed: halfway through the album there are two quieter songs, after which Two Steps (might very well have been a Lynn Miles tune!) brings the tempo back onto this album, which grows on you every time you listen to it.

"****"

Bart Ebisch, Music Journalist

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