Excerpts:
“(Erelli's) warm embrace of the human spirit and the human experience is uplifting to the ear and to the soul...this is a jewel of a recording.”
“From the back porch feel of the strongest track 'Everything in Ruin' through to the atmospheric simplicity of the closing track this is an accessible and friendly album full of strong and varied songs. ”
“(Mark Erelli) embodies many of the best qualities of the folk-populist lineage that began with Woody Guthrie, and is carried today by Bruce Springsteen and others. His voice, a beautiful combination of wine and whiskey, is as intimately conversational as a fireside chat. And, by exploring some of the big themes of American life--family, redemption, war and love, among others--and by describing how those themes affect a single life, he makes topical songs personal.”
“...While the music sounds like something you've heard before, Erelli takes things up a notch with first-rate songwriting and a flexible voice that alternately contains shades of Dylan, Springsteen, Neil Young and Ryan Adams. The end result is a fantastic record that, 10 years into his career, gives every indication that Erelli is in it for the long haul.”
“Whether drawing from personal experience or creating fictional scenes, Erelli's songs remain grounded with human emotion in every performance.”
“Erelli's beautiful new thematic album, Delivered, is an important release...(he) articulates his topics so well and his characters are so engrossing that it is worth the emotional investment. (A) soul-stirring endeavor...”
“No need to read between the lines when singer-songwriter Mark Erelli vents on "Delivered," railing against politics as usual or the war in Iraq or the Bush adminstration's bungled response to Hurricane Katrina. The prolific New England-based tunesmith makes his case with clarity and conviction.
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“("Hope Dies Last" is) a somber, fingerpicked acoustic song, and Erelli sings as if his heart is about to break as he ticks off a list of global woes: suicide bombings, trapped coalminers, deceitful electioneering. "Nothing much has changed here," he sighs. Then his wife hugs him tightly on her way out the door, and his lament dissolves in a moment of pure, deep-seated joy.
It's Erelli at his best, a condition he exhibits throughout "Delivered."”
It's Erelli at his best, a condition he exhibits throughout "Delivered."”
