Deborah McColl Album Reviews

Performing Songwriter Magazine
Volume 8, Issue 48
September/October 2000

TOP 12 PICKS
For Do-it-yourself Songwriters

Deborah McColl
Naked in the Garden
Produced by Joe Turano

After listening to this solo debut from L.A.-based songwriter Deborah McColl, one’s reaction is likely to be, “Why did she wait so long?” A 20-year-plus veteran in the music industry, McColl has shared the stage with the likes of Tom Waits, Cat Stevens, and Hoyt Axton. Moreover, between 1978 and 1982 she sang backup and recorded with Jimmy Buffett (with whom she continues to maintain a strong connection).
Naked in the Garden marks McColl’s return to music following a long sabbatical during which she earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology. And what a return it is! Accompanied by roots-oriented instrumentation (played by several of her musician friends), and her own acoustic guitar, McColl excels at creating textured balladry and mid-tempo folk-pop centered on sturdy melodies and beautifully crafted arrangements. A gifted singer as well, McColl often brings to mind such songbirds as Patty Larkin and Margo Timmins, albeit with a hint of twang. Perhaps best of all, Naked in the Garden demonstrates the way in which “subtle” can translate into “substantial.” -
RUSSELL HALL, Music Editor for Performing Songwriter magazine

"Deborah McColl is a really hard lady to pin down. I'm of the opinion that's a good thing. A right thing. She does every genre of music I've heard from her equally as well and just as much from the heart, whether it
be country, folk or what I call "spiritually uplifting". Not gospel. Not really. Music that's more about inner peace and hope than it is about God (or rather, another way of talking about it, if you prefer). She has a
voice that can go anywhere from sweet innocence to smokey bar seduction. She's also a fantastic songwriter. By that, I mean that she takes these songs in directions, both lyrically and musically, that I never would have expected. She surprises me - and in this world of radio "sameness", makes herself stand out as an original. Jodi Krangle, The Muses Muse, December, 2000

"This is one of the finest debut CDs I've heard",

David Elliot, Arcadia Weekly, August 10, 2000

"Deborah McColl's songs flow straight from her heart -- sweet and strong,
gentle and bold. Her righteous singing and passionate playing serve them
well. This is a new voice with plenty of promise."

Doug Adrianson, Los Angeles Times, June 2000

"It's tempting to compare Deborah McColl to icon Joni Mitchell or folk-era balladeers. But ultimately this singer-songwriter's ability to connect touches listeners with a musical intimacy that's purely original - and very satisfying".

Peter Day, Applause!, June, 2000