this album is awesome you should buy it
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Rebecca Koetting's debut 11-song CD "The Austin Sessions" sounds like anything BUT a debut. 

The New Jersey singer-songwriter has a wide range of influences and this CD, written mostly during a summer stay in Europe and recorded in Austin, brings them out. Vocally interesting and beautiful, 'Becca sounds as if Stevie Nicks has met Margo Timmons (from the Cowboy Junkies) and at times, the entire band sounds as if they brought the Toronto legends down to Texas with them. 

The young singer has a very strong, straightforward delivery and puts her voice "out there" -- getting the maximum effect from it without really trying. She lets all the characteristics shine: the country enunciation, the tiny little vibrato and what passes for upper midwest nasality...her voice sounds really good. On only a couple of tunes is it overshadowed by a bit too much instrumentation ("Hush" is one example.) 

Instrumentally solid, the CD was produced by Tony Saracene and Roger Guimond. Tony is the lead guitarist, organist and bassist. Roger, the percussionist, also lends his own vocals in support. Others include drummer Hunt Sales, more electric guitar from Zak Perry and some great ad-lib backup vocals from Vala Cupp (from John Lee Hooker's traveling band). A job well done overall. 

The best tunes are the ones that really flow -- the soft rockers, some of which have a little country flavor to them. These include the opener "Fly Free," "Your Place or Mine" (the tune with Vala Cupp) and the closing song "Wildflowers," a tune that tells the story of Ladybird Johnson's Make America Beautiful Campaign in the '60's. This is both a pretty and edgy tune at the same time: "She said: 'Spread wild flower seeds, wherever you go. Gonna make the flowers grow.' Well she sounds like a doped up hippie to me...think she smokes weed? She must be doped on Valium to deal with her freemason husband. Through his campaign of death and destruction, she leads the daisy revolution..." 
With the drum programming, pulsing electric 12-string, grumbling bass and haunting melody, the simplicity and tension of this song just leap out immediately. 

Rebecca also has other talents, one being acoustic guitar. On the love song "It'll be All Right," she shows her skill on an 1896 parlor guitar while Tony plucks a Spanish guitar and adds his skills on the accordion. 

With her insightful lyrics, compelling voice and guitar playing ability, Rebecca seems destined to have a wonderful future in music.


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A beautiful combination of a Stevie Nicks but yet original voice with a country, bluesy attitude.  Awesome!
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Rebecca Koetting has released an album that stands on its own as a solid collection of self-penned contemporary songs. I’m a sucker for female singer/songwriters and Koetting fits right into my wheelhouse – her style is straight ahead, intelligent, and confident with a touch of blues roots and folky delivery. She’s clearly comfortable leading a band in her own direction, compelling the listener with a lack of pretension that is refreshing in an era of pop divas who fall into an emotional tailspin if their labels don’t pay enough attention to them.   

Koetting also seems like a pretty cool lady. She’s down to earth, yet secure in the knowledge that her audience will want to hear her songs. I doubt she’ll ever be granted the type of success that’s heaped upon the Brittanys and Celines of the world, but I have a feeling her fans will be loyal wherever she goes.    

Paired with a producer like Roger Guimond, with whom she obviously feels comfortable, Koetting has already hit on a winning blueprint for achievement. The Austin Sessions is one of the better independently released albums by a singer/songwriter type since Aimee Mann’s Bachelor #2. Highlights include “Hush”, which showcases Koetting’s fine voice, and the swanky “Your Place Or Mine”. (7/10) – AL     

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