Intensely personal and moving
author: New Fan
A friend invited me to one of Kristi's performances and I went knowing nothing about her or her music. By the end of the show, I felt like she had shared so much of herself and her experiences through her music. I bought the Ravengirl CD on the spot and haven't stopped listening to it. GIVE is one of those songs you play over and over, and RAVENGIRL is addictive! Her voice, her lyrics, her arrangements...all captivating! This is one of those CD's I'll be buying for friends because I want to share her music with everyone I know!
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Beautiful songs about the richness of life and death
author: Matthew Surrence
From the opening piano chord of the first song, Oya!, which anchors the album in a nature-grounded spirituality, to the closing song, Give, Kristi's self-described theme song that has appeared, in various versions, on all of her albums, and here is knittled with a feeling of ruminative female solidarity as performed by WomanSpiritRising, Ravengirl finds the Rhode Island singer/songwriter continuing to try to come to terms with the soul-shattering event that has become her unwelcome but rich central subject: the aftermath of the 2003 death, by suicide, of her lover, Littlebird, also a musician. Kristi's vocal dynamics are so accomplished she can keen as mesmerizingly as Bjork when recalling an anguished incident from childhood (For Josh), then swoop down to a sardonic growl to indict a treacherous rival-in-friend's-clothing (Photophobia). In these songs, as well as the ones directly related to Littlebird, such as the haunting title track, the unflinchingly heartrending but ultimately inspiring Harder Than Dying (lovely cello by Janet Taggart Blake), the transcendent Litttlebird's Flight, and the bitter Dear Emily, the beauty and depth, utterly lacking in cloying sentimentality, that Kristi unearths in herself in her words, her singing, and her expressive piano playing, as well as the exemplary support of her musical collaborators, make Ravengirl another remarkable release from this superb artist. Great artwork, too.
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Arresting, intense and surprisingly uplifting...so compelling
author: Brian Jewell for Bay Windows
In this arresting, intense and surprisingly uplifting album, Martel works out some of her feelings about her lover's suicide...raw awareness, bemused and hurt but grateful and joyous, ...makes Ravengirl so compelling. The album begins with the eerie instrumental "Oya," a sort of rite of passage easing us into Martel's psyche. Martel then wraps us in the gentle "Day of Rain," a song about the day you realize the crying is finally over and are able to look back, calm and clear-eyed. The collage of memories that follows is tinted with the full spectrum of emotion, and Martel's nimble voice constantly shifts with the music... "I am doing fine, I am doing fine," she bubbles; it's not some ironic mantra or attempt at manifesting, just a cheerful chorus of simple truth. She's doing fine indeed, and the album soars way above fine.
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WERS 88.9fm's Artist of the Week: Kristi Martel
author: Ben Collins for WERS 88.9fm Boston
There must be a ton going on in Kristi Martel's head. You'll get this impression from the structure of her music. In nearly every song in her 2006 release 'Ravengirl,' the intricacies are so slight but strongly crafted...The depth and diversity of her music should be no wonder, really...She plays directly to the emotion of every track. Best of all, she's a startling lyricist to compliment her trained voice. To aid her anti-folk, somber-sounding music, she puts together beautiful arrangements of dark words...Her music will undoubtedly merit her assimilations to Fiona Apple. Her voice will shoot her comparisons to Bjork. Her lyrics will, and have, draw her Ani DiFranco fans. But, need not worry, she's not Ani DiFranco-depressed yet. She album is filled with a lot of quirk and a fair amount of fun...'Ravengirl' has already earned a 'highly recommended' from the Providence Journal. The Providence Phoenix, usually a tough crowd, bragged of her 'meaningful lyrics, passionate performances, and an emotional mission.' You'd worry that this could get to her head and maybe effect her music. But, in the head of Kristi Martel, there may not be enough room left for arrogance.
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