Album Notes

"Quite simply a knock-out. Missy possesses a rare vocal gift." - Magnet

"A stunner." - Harp

Missy Roback's debut CD, Just Like Breathing, features her haunting vocals and spare songwriting over psychedelic alt-country arrangements. From the droning slide mantra of "Take It Back" to the mournful elegy "Sleep with the Mermaid," Just Like Breathing is "a startling collection of rainy-day ballads, mournful tales of emotional disconnection, and songs of graceful fragility" (Pop Culture Press).

Just Like Breathing was produced by internationally acclaimed songwriter and producer Steven Roback, whose previous band, Rain Parade, was part of LA's Paisley Underground and a major force in the American alternative music scene. Steven also contributed his melodic bass lines and delicate keyboard textures to the CD. Tim Mooney of legendary San Francisco band American Music Club mixed the album, and lent his percussion and engineering talents to the project.

Steven's atmospheric but understated production perfectly frames Missy's vocals, which have been likened to Aimee Mann, Emmylou Harris, and Sandy Denny. Just Like Breathing speaks volumes in its minimalism. Intelligent, well-crafted and emotionally resonant, it's an album that stays with you long after the last song has played.

Press quotes:

Best of 2002 - Chicago Sun Times, Miles of Music, and Rockbites

"An instant classic. ... Stunningly emotive vocals. ... More 'oh fuck' and 'gives-me-chills' moments than any record in recent memory." Five stars - Rockbites

"Like Aimee Mann joined Mazzy Star... Lush, atmospheric, and very catchy." - WRCT, Pittsburgh

"Stark and harrowing... honest in its raw emotion." - Paste

"A gifted singer and songwriter." - No Depression

"Comparisons with the timeless beauty of Emmylou Harris and Fairport Convention's Sandy Denny aren't out of order." - Magnet

"An exceptional debut from a singer-songwriter who should, by her third full-length, be a nationally recognized act." - In Music We Trust

"Missy has a perfect voice for radio, if radio still played real music." - Dream Magazine

"Do not miss this record." - Dagger

"A subtle and fragile album with a deceptively strong pulse." - All Music Guide

"Dreamy, lo-fi Americana and haunting psychedelic arrangements are only half the story. Add Roback's voice, which has that angelic quality associated with classic '60s American girl groups, and the juxtaposition is glorious." - Uncut

"Rock music families are few but memorable, including the Lennons, the Williamses, and the Marleys. Don't forget the Robacks." - Skyscraper

"A haunting, beautifully lasting and, at times, stunning piece of work." - Not Lame

"A knock-out." - San Francisco Bay Guardian

"Steven Roback's production is reminiscent of Daniel Lanois' work on Emmylou Harris' records, quiet and unhurried but densely atmospheric. ... Haunting and surprisingly unsettling."- Tone and Groove

"A gem of a pop record. ... With [Missy's] lovely voice and her husband's immediately appealing accompaniment ... rotten love never sounded so good." - High Bias

"Neither country nor folk, but more like the dreamy melancholic pop that Steven's Rain Parade partner David Roback made in Mazzy Star." - Splendid