Big
Open Sky - REVIEWS
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The
Daily Herald
January 2000
REVIEWS
by Mark Guarino
© 2000 Daily Herald Paddock Publications
"Looking for that perfect Sunday
morning record? Here's one that could be retitled
"The Freewheeling Antje Gehrken." Her breezy acoustic
debut wields a deft touch that's smooth and confident.
Handling a majority of the guitars in a trio, Antje's
strength is in the understatement. Her classic,
lovely voice takes care, as a jazz singer would
do, in priming emotional strength through vocal
subtlety. These songs, relaxing strolls like "Sunshine"
or the sneaky-sounding "Red Shoes," are prime showcases
for her covertly gentle voice. As some song titles
suggest ("Like A Daisy," "I Love Paris") her lyrics
tend to be on the polite side. Antje is more comfortable
singing about lovely painted dishes designed by
Chagall than she would be breaking them over anyone's
head. The darkest moment here is "I'm Coming Home"
where she sings "all my life fighting," repeating
it as if she were trying to shake it off. Perhaps
infusing weariness amid such twinkling acoustics
is as covert as her voice. "Big Open Sky" is recorded
so intimately, you can hear each string squeak.
That makes "Beast," the single time the volume rises
- a guitar string snaps, a snare drum strikes -
like a jolt of coffee interrupting this pleasant
dream."
---
GoGirlsMusic.com
August 1999
REVIEWS
© 1999 GoGirlsMusic.com
Antje ('än-cha) is a singer/songwriter
who has spent 10 years honing her skills and practicing
her craft prior to releasing her first full-length
album, "Big Open Sky", and it shows. She is a singer/songwriter
who's work shows her polish and professionalism.
The style is primarily folk, blending early musical
influences from the 60's and 70's with second generation
folk-rockers of the 90's. Great guitar work and
wonderful melodies make this an album worth checking
out if you are a fan of contemporary folk music.
Pick hits: "One Million Miles" and "Red Shoes."
---
Renegade
Reviews
August 1999
REVIEWS
© 1999 renegadereviews.com
"I've been listening to a lot of girl singers
lately. Some of them are very unique, a few have
been kind of harsh, and a few that I passed on even
reviewing. I found [ANTJE's] voice on "Big Open
Sky" refreshing, like someone opening a window.
Very clean, clear voice, and she obviously knows
how to use it. The lyrics just went on by, it was
her voice that interested me, but of course I did
later listen again, and read the lyric sheets. "Big
open sky" one of the nicest folk tunes, I've come
across yet. Nice simple arragement with guitar,
mandolin, some cool sounding drum intro, and a very
nicely sung melody.. "But I'm not alone, and my
mind is already half blown". It has that 60's upbeat,
clever, coffee house poet sensibility. I really
enjoyed that tune. "Sunshine" laid back sitting
on the porch jammin with your friends, kind of folk
song. Very minimal lyrics, but a very nice, walkin
almost 40ish style Chicago jazz/Blues, I guess being
from Chicago didn't hurt. I wanted to hear more.
At least listen to Antje sing, you'll see what I
mean.
---
Kraynight Productions, Inc.
April 1999
REVIEWS
© 1999 Kraynight Productions, Inc.
I
must admit, my experience and listening practices
do not lie within this specific genre of music,
but my ears are always open to new experiences.
Antje's Big Open Sky is a good experience and has
found itself in rotation among my often-played CDs.
What genre is this? I term it acoustic/folk music
with a dash of blues and jazz and a tablespoon of
fun. Though Antje's live shows are often solo performances,
you will find a healthy mix of musicians contributing
to the instrumental mix on the CD. Big Open Sky
opens with the title track of the same, a laid-back
jazzy tune with some light percussion to accompany.
Catchy melodies with lyrics that make you chuckle
will get stuck in your head. By the second verse
of "Lovely Painted Dishes" you'll find yourself
singing along with Antje as she claims, "I want
stuff/Because all that I have now is really not
enough...Lovely painted dishes/Designed by Chagall".
There is something to be said for the production
quality of Big Open Sky - it fits the style well.
Recorded using a mix of analog and digital tracks,
the CD has a warm sound and feel that will draw
the listener in to the music. Not a sound you get
too often with today's digital audio revolution.
This is a fun, well-written and well-produced CD.
Fans of Fiona Apple, Ani DiFranco and Tracy Chapman
should check it out.
---
Centerstage
Chicago
March 1999
REVIEWS
© 1994-99 Centerstage Media
Local singer-songwriter is also a
teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music as
well as Columbia college. She plays a brand of folk
rock that is a at once introspective and socially
aware. Her sound is a combination of Shawn Colvin
and Ani DiFranco with the sort of sunny openness
characterized by Joni Mitchell. It's not quite as
mushy as Colvin, but not quite as estrogen-angst-y
as DiFranco. She has a 13-song debut record Big
Open Sky on Sweet Pickle Music (the record release
party was 3/5/99 at the Old Town School of Folk
Music). The album uses spare instrumentation and
is open and accessible. All in all, a solid and
impressive debut.
