I recently purchased Holding Back from Road records here in Ireland, and wow, what a buy, its amazing, al the songs just really connected to me and they have proven hard to shake off, which is definately a good thing. really beautiful person and talent, Im off to see her live now and get the very best from this very talented lady, not to mention the band!! and her myspace page is so cool. thanks for the music.

Linda Coogan has come to the forefront on my musical enlighenment of late. I discovered Linda playing in London and from that moment I had to get her CD. Not only can this talented singer/songwriter capture the live audience but listening to her album "holding back" im engaged in her sultry, smooth, sexy vocals and her organically grown sound. Once you let Linda's music enter your mind, you become addicted. It is hard to pick my favourite tracks on the album, as every single one of them has a place on the album, if one of the tracked were left out, I think the album would not have the same impact. However to date my favourite tracks would have to be "Holiday Blues", "Where I Belong", "It's not me it's you", "Last December", "Hey Baby", "Rebel Fear", "Drunken Beauty", "The Way Home" and to finish this masterpiece off "For the missing ones". I do hope I will get to expereince more from Linda Coogan and Im in no doubt this artist will prosper. Definitely one to be check out.......amazing talent.

Written by Mike Parker Friday, 08 December 2006 Holding Back by Linda Coogan Independent What an oddly titled album, because Holding Back doesn’t seem to be in the vocabulary of Irish folk-rocker, Linda Coogan. Not that this is some no-holds-barred, knock down-drag out barnburner of an album. Instead, there is a smoldering intensity to Coogan’s writing, understated accompaniments, and oh, so smooth and sultry vocals that speaks of hard won wisdom, and prim passion contained in a pasteboard box. Holding Back is a thirteen-song exegesis of the vagaries of love, sung with a sad smile and an inexplicable optimism. “Holiday Blues,” the album’s opener is an excellent example of the loved and lost, ‘been-there-done-that; probably gonna do it again’ theme that permeates this project. “We left it on, ‘let’s not fight.’/ Then he told me he loved me./ And I said, ‘I ain’t free.’/ I said, ‘honey, there’s more fish in the sea,’” Coogan croons. That theme is repeated in “Black Eyes,” “It’s Not Me, It’s You,” “Last December,” and “Rebel Fear.” There is a yearning for love that goes deeper than the physical, but the reality never seems to match the fantasy. This is not a hopeless, downer of an album, however. There are sparks of exhilaration and joy, such as on the groove-laden, “Hey Baby,” accentuated by Coogan’s breathy, siren call vocals. “Hey, baby…Truly, madly, deeply/ You really shook me.” This one is slow dance heaven. An added treat is the instrumental closing number, “For The Missing Ones,” which sounds like it could have just as easily originated in Appalachia as Ireland. Coogan’s vocals fall somewhere between the grit and gravel of Ashley Cleveland and the gentle, passionate country-folk of Emmylou Harris. Fans of Bonnie Raitt or Annie Lennox will also get into Linda Coogan. www.lindacoogan.com Friday, 08 December 2006

I first heard Linda on a podcast - and was hooked - playing her track over and over again - then the album arrived - it's not been out of the CD player. People always look for comparisons but it's hard to give on - which is nice - maybe a cross between Sara McLachlan and Rickie Lee Jones. Lots of influences in the music. Initially I treated it as if it were music for reflection - but it works too with the volume cranked up. More please....