A current list of reviews and comments we’ve received (Sep - Nov 2009).

I love this record. I’ve been playing it on a loop for days. A feel-good album if ever there was one, Talk Radio is a 10-track trump. Not that the themes are all that chipper, mind you. Hobson’s laid-bare lyrics put the world under a microscope with a wary eye. Even so, they are hoisted up by a hopeful, upbeat musical landscape that just won’t quit. Folk pop one minute, country twang the next, there are many musical bases covered here, and the production and players are stellar. Hobson has a gift for churning out catchy, melodic tunes that adhere to the walls of your skull like Stickum. Her voice, nearly vibrato-free, is smooth, sweet, and immensely pleasing.

I’m hearing bits of Lisa Loeb, the Indigo Girls, and the Sundays here, but there’s so much more. I simply cannot get “Crash” out of my head, a glorious guitar-strumming pop tune of hope and longing. “Divide” is pure flaming rockabilly fun, fun, fun. “Good Stuff” is jazz tinged, which is not surprising, since Hobson’s background is heavily saturated in jazz guitar. The ballad “Far From Home” is contemplative and loungey. I’ve only seen Hobson perform her coffeehouse fare solo, but I hear the Compact’s live set is amazing. Catch it on November 1 and 6 at the Rhinecliff Hotel and November 20 at Hyde Park Brewing Company. —Sharon Nichols, Chronogram

"I've been a big fan of The Erin Hobson Compact's live shows for a few years now, but now there's another reason to rejoice, their first full-length album "Talk Radio" is now available!

Produced by bassist, co-writer, and advertising guru Steven W. Ross, Erin's debut album is chock full of great songs. My favorite is "Divide," featuring a rockabilly groove set on fire with Erin's superlative fret work." Justin Foy, PM-drive show, CD director, WDST, Radio Woodstock, Woodstock, NY

"A terrific listen ... Bravo!" Peter Erskine, Jazz drummer and composer, Steely Dan, Weather Report, Diana Krall.

"All very intimate and thoughtful and most importantly, believable. All in all, excellent. Well done Erin and Steven." Andy Newmark, drummer extraordinaire, John Lennon, Sly And The Family Stone, David Bowie, B.B. King, Carly Simon, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Rickie Lee Jones, Roxy Music, Sting, Pink Floyd, etc.

"Erin's voice wraps around you like a fleece blanket on an autumn evening--warm and cozy, it keeps the chill of the world off." Brian Mahoney, Editor Chronogram

"Hard to define, Easy to Love! What do you get if you combine two parts acoustic coffee house, one part Latin jazz, and then throw in a dash of alternative rock? You get The Erin Hobson Compact. Tough to categorize, this group’s sensitivity, sensual musicality and social awareness span too many musical genres to count in one review.

Some have called Hobson a female John Mayer. On stage, she exudes a sense of unself-conscious joy as she colors her songs with lush chords and expands them with virtuoso solos.

Bassist, producer and co-writer, Steven W. Ross hits upon arrangements and provides lyrical syncopations that showcase Hobson’s impressive guitar skills and haunting vocals. At once innocent and knowing, these songs feel like the soundtrack to some perfect indie romantic film – one which hasn’t been made yet.

The debut album’s title track, 'Talk Radio,' just may be an anthem for the Jon Stewart generation. There’s been industry buzz about Hobson’s music for years, but so far, she hasn’t yet found the wider audience she deserves. Talk Radio may be the album that changes all that."Alisa Kwitney, journalist and author of Vertigo Visions: Art From The Cutting Edge Of Comics.

"The songs are wonderful. A great job with the production. The instrumentation is lush -- it's really very good." Robyn Flans, celebrity journalist with the Emmys, Oscars and Golden Globes, In Touch, American Profile, Statement Magazine.

"Erin Hobson is certainly one of the better guitarists in the Hudson Valley area, and surely one of the only strong female soloists around, period. The Compact’s songs of life and love are sung with deep emotion and vulnerability, and played with heart and soul, so much so, you’ll want to play them over and over again. Commercial not because they appeal to the lowest common denominator, but because they’re just really good. Remember? The way it used to be." David Malachowski, Kingston Daily Freeman

"REALLY GOOD!!! I am always hesitant to listen to CD’s from friends and business associates because they are usually not very good. But I am happy to say that the songwriting and the performances are excellent. I especially like the first 2 songs. Erin is very impressive and the entire CD is wonderful." Gary Chetkof, owner and general manager WDST, Radio Woodstock (Woodstock, NY)

"So I am lying in the pool, floating around with my waterproof iPod listening to tunes, and being in a Zen state. I am listening to a playlist that I call “new favorite artists” which are my recent downloads from the iTunes store. Not all new music, but things that I have discovered in the last 6 months or so. Every now and then a tune comes on that I stimulates me and I take a look at the screen to check the artist. Erin Hobson Compact, Brick Wall). Well done…" Michael Tapes, owner Raw Work Flow.

- More to come -

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