Louise Mosrie: Press

“Influenced by everyone from ‘70’s folk-rock icon Ricki Lee Jones to ‘80’s pop faves The Sundays, Louise Mosrie brings a refreshing dose of acoustic pop to the singer-songwriter realm. Listening to her latest album, Separated Like Stars, gives you the kind of emotional lift that an old Carole King or Maria Muldaur release would have 30 years ago.”

With a crystal like voice, Louise Mosrie presents to us her newest release, Separated like Stars. This is a collection of diverse tunes sprinkled with an acoustic pop sensibility. Yet the acoustic part is only an anchor for the songs, as she expands the music into lovely cinematic arrangements better than any major label could churn out. Mosrie's voice is a lot like Harriet Wheeler's from the British dream pop group The Sundays, but her music is far more grounded and gutsy. Like in “Has Been” or “Real Me,” Mosrie includes jazz and folk into her catchy sound. Or while listening to “One of the Lonely Ones” the country flare comes shining through. This recording only slows down nearly toward the end with the expressive solo, “Riverman.” In this song the strength of the entire CD is heard as her glowing voice becomes entangled with the acoustic guitar. The following tunes, though orchestrated into rock band format, are clearly guided by this intimate setting. Mosrie creates a more eclectic type of dreaminess and thus a wonderful recording.

For her sophomore effort, Louise Mosrie brings us Separated Like Stars, a collection of 13 tunes that pretty much sticks to the same stylistic terrain of her first outing. Ms. Mosrie is steeped in the tradition of ‘70’s femme singer/songwriters like Carole King, Maria Muldaur and Melissa Manchester, which is actually a breath of fresh air compared to the “revolutionary” Tank Grrrl rhetoric spewed out by Ani Difranco et al these days. The album is lushly recorded, sounding like a big budget production. Mosrie is supported by longtime scenesters Terry Hill and Travis Wyrick, who both toned down their guitar histrionics to match the laid-back groove of the album. As with her last CD, her high standards are applied to every facet of this recording, down to the cover art--which is probably the best of any locally produced I’ve seen

Louise Mosrie is best known as half of the folk/pop duo SheSaid. “Crave”, Mosrie’s solo debut is a striking album that contains folk and rock. The centerpiece is made up of Mosrie’s vocals and likable songs. However, this is a first-rate enterprise on all fronts - from the knockout package design to the musicians and production. Case in point, the lovely song “Hidden”, which features steel guitar and cello complementing Mosrie’s own fingerstyle guitar work and vocals. And don’t turn the CD off too soon, one of the best tracks is a pretty acoustic guitar and vocal number hidden at the end of the disc. Mosrie is a singer-songwriter to keep an eye on.

While it’s tempting to say that local singer/songwriter Louise Mosrie has suddenly appeared on the scene from outta nowhere, such is not the case. While her brand new debut CD Crave is surprisingly polished and fully formed, Mosrie has been kicking around Knoxville music venues for the past seven years. From a post-college cover band to her own experimental outfit The Crumbtinies to acoustic duo SheSaid, Mosrie has been honing her skills as a guitar player and songwriter. And now Crave documents her progress as a unique artist of lush acoustic pop with dashes of coffee house folk, country, and rock. But even more impressive is her voice as a songwriter, with a lyrical sense that is intensely personal yet not cloyingly so (unlike, oh, a few MTV favorites), carefully balancing heart and soul. This concert is a celebration of Crave’s release, and one look at the album’s ravishing design will tell you how serious Mosrie is about her music- and one listen will show you why.

Singer/songwriter Louise Mosrie’s debut solo album Crave looks too extravagantly polished and professional to be dismissed as simply another lo-fi home demo. the package gleams with major-label-push all the way, yet it’s Mosrie’s own project. An initial listen reveals just how serious the Knoxville-based performer is about her career. The no-expenses spared presentation showcases her delicate performance in the best possible light, with sharp and laborious production by (not surprisingly) the singer herself. A diverse gathering of Mosrie’s influences all mesh nicely on the title track. Sundays-like acoustic shading colors a landscape of a-typical inward introspection. but here the singer never stoops to conventional tricks, rather letting her own voice and expressed gut feelings shine through, like sunshine after a summer rain. Tough without compromise or pretense, yet feminine enough in delivery to allow real emotions to guide the mood; the no tears “Jaded” and the country-tinged “Breakdown” are prime examples; and a subdued blues guitar adds a dangerous edge to “Diva”, an ode to a femme fatale. Perhaps soon Mosrie will get her big break and release that major label debut, but then why should she bother, when she already has such a fine product as Crave under her belt? This is her shining moment, and anything less would be anti-climactic.

Here's some darn catchy music for you. Louise's music is sort of a poppy rock that has some metal guitar riffs thrown in (like on 'Never Gonna Be The One'), and almost a twinge of country in spots. My personal pick on the album is 'Diva', but actually, all the songs are good. I would be upset if there was some filler thrown in but there isn't. Anywhere. Instead there are twelve songs all deserving praise. And though it has nothing to do with anything, the album has absolutely awesome packaging, with a tri-fold sleeve and mega-thick lyric booklet. Anyway, back to the real subject, Louise's music, all I can say is that she definitely has music that will stand up for a long time to come, and hopefully, the world will come to listen.
**** (out of 5)

All About Eve fans should find a striking similarity in the self-released Crave by Louise Mosrie. Her 11 track debut offers a multitude of AAA radio and film score possibilities. In both the title track and “The Road”. Personal favs include the violin and twang guitar mix of “Jaded”, the scrapbook memoirs of “My England” & “The Best Kind”, with unpredictable chord progressions reminding me of the great “Dog & Butterfly” by Seattle’s Heart (aka Lovemongers).

Seeing and hearing Louise Mosrie perform her eclectic mix of folk and English pop is like having a good friend sit down in your living room to play guitar and sing: The beer is cold, the room is lit by candles and there's something ethereal about her sweet voice.