Fish Records UK Editorial Review
Over the past 9 years we’ve carried a handful albums that have proved to be breakthrough discs for artists (the early discs from Lori McKenna & Josh Ritter spring to mind). ‘Come Up Full’ has a similar feel to these discs, and, given a fair wind, there’s every chance that this superb album from Meg Hutchinson could well reach out to a wide audience. Produced by Crit Harmon (who also produced McKenna, Mary Gauthier, Martin Sexton), the disc is lyric-driven folk, it’s very much an obvious Boston area singer/songwriter disc, but the quality of the songs and production make it stand out from the pack. Meg has weathered edge to her story-telling style, it’s a combination of the honest lyrics and the unique delivery – she has a distinct alto that is warm and easy to enjoy, the perfect instrument for a singer/songwriter. ‘Come Up Full’ is an album with an underlying theme of finding a good outcome when you would least expect it, the title track is a beautiful poem about the fishermen and the hope of a good catch, and ‘Seeing Stars’ and ‘Ready’ are lyrically rich songs of optimism that stand out. The backing is subtle and relatively low-key, Meg’s guitar style is rhythmic and suits her vocal delivery perfectly; the remainder of the backing has bass, percussion, keyboards and accordion - it’s all beautifully constructed to give the vocals and lyrics the centre stage. This is a singer/songwriter album of the highest quality – great songs and performances and the consistency is there throughout the 12 tracks. Those with an interest in the genre should put this at the top of their list.
TheRecord.com, Robert Reid, March 13, 2008
Meg Hutchison shows great artistic strength in wrestling the positive from the clenched fist of fear, cynicism and negativity so prevalent in our world. The glass is always half full for Boston singer/songwriter, as confirmed on Come Up Full, her stunning Red House Records debut. Masterfully produced by Crit Harmon (Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton, Mary Gauthier), Come Up Full is a lyrically rich collection of a dozen personal takes on matters of the heart and of the world. There's not a weak track, however, America (Enough) is one of the most evocatively moving post-9/11 songs I've heard. Hutchison has been wooing and wowing critics for her songwriting at competitions from Kerrville to Mountain Stage, but it's her lush alto vocals that send pricklies up the back of your neck. It's the kind of voice that insists you stop whatever you're doing and listen as closely as you can. Meg Hutchison might well be the next Mary Chapin Carpenter -- she's that good.
Amazon.com Editorial Review
The radiant artistry of Meg Hutchinson combines brilliant songwriting with raw poetic storytelling and a riveting performance style. The multi-award winning artist's Red House Records debut COME UP FULL is a wistful and warm album showcasing her sweet, earthy vocals framed by tastefully intimate production, establishing her as one of the rising stars and great voices of the next generation of acoustic musicians.
J&R ElectronicsEditorial Review
With a sleepy, soulful delivery akin to Lucinda Williams at her sultry best, Meg Hutchinson knows the art of restraint. Though the tempo of her music rarely strays from a soothing andante, she allows drama to build from emotionally resonant lyrics and quietly engaging melodies. This album, the singer/songwriter's fifth, features 12 laid-back acoustic numbers with minimal percussion and guitar overdubs, and was released by the respected folk label Red House Records.
Utica Observer Dispatch, March 20, 2008
Hutchinson’s new CD of original songs confirms that she is a voice of the next generation of acoustic musicians.
WXXI.org Blog, Scott Regan coverage of SXSW, March 22, 2008
Meg Hutchinson was the newcomer. Just signed by Red House, played a number of songs from her debut cd. Her rookie apprehension disappeared thirty seconds into the first song. Live performances bring songs to life in a way the recorded version can’t. This performance reminds me how true that is. Solid writing by a young artist, where will it take her… Read the entire blog and view Scott's sketches of Meg Hutchinson and other Red House artists performing at SXSW >>
Dallas Morning News, Michael Granberry, coverage of SXSW, March 14, 2008
Contrary to popular opinion, South by Southwest is not off-limits to those of us over 50. Red House Records, whose stable of artists includes such coffeehouse luminaries as John Gorka and Jimmy LaFave, hosted a party at Mother Egan's Irish Pub on Friday afternoon that included performances by Robin & Linda Williams (who you may remember made an appearance in the Garrison Keillor movie Prairie Home Companion, just as they have many times on the radio show), Caroline Herring, Storyhill, The Pines, Danny Schmidt, Cliff Eberhardt, Ray Bonneville, Oh Susanna, Mr. LaFave and Eliza Gilkyson. Great stuff. Acoustic sounds wafted out from under a tent next to the pub, which offered up smoked turkey legs and Shiner beer and hours of great music, even in the 90-plus-degree heat. One of my favorites was Meg Hutchinson, who is nowhere close to 50 and who recently made her Red House debut with a terrific album titled Come Up Full. Red House, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, fittingly called its Friday party "Our Side of Town." It's amazing anyone was awake for it. The Red House crew partied well into the night on Thursday at the Driskill Hotel, with Jimmy LaFave launching a closing set that did not get started until 1 a.m. Friday.
The Boston Globe, Sarah Rodman, coverage of SXSW, March 14, 2008
A quick stop into the sumptuous Victorian Room at the Driskill Hotel found local singer-songwriter Meg Hutchinson charming an attentive crowd with her burnished voice.
The Boston Globe, Scott Alarik, March 8, 2008 - "Full" of emotion
In Meg Hutchinson’s universe, there is no useful distance between the personal and the political. Her honey-husk voice sings about the Iraq war and her own reawakening from depression with the same troubled intimacy. On a new album, ‘‘Come up Full,’’ beautifully soft-spoken melodies commiserate with searching lyrics that are all the more convincing for their uncertainty.
Kim Ruehl, About.com - Profile: Meg Hutchinson
One of the best new artists I saw at Folk Alliance this year was Meg Hutchinson. Of course, being that I'm from Seattle, everyone I ran into from the East Coast already knew and loved her work. Sometimes, we on the West Coast take a little longer to catch on, but I'm glad I ran into her. Hutchinson's work calls to mind other great New Englanders like Kris Delmhorst and Dar Williams (who now lives in New York), as well as the crafty poetics of Greg Brown and the observational narratives of Joni Mitchell. Those are all pretty awesome artists to be compared to, but Meg has definitely earned the comparison.
Albany Times Union, Greg Haymes, March 6, 2008 - A local spin
On Friday night, singer-songwriter Meg Hutchinson heads into Club Helsinki in Great Barrington, Mass., to celebrate her brand new album "Come Up Full," which was released on the Minnesota-based folk label Red House Records on Tuesday. The new disc -- her fifth -- was produced by Crit Harmon, who was also at the production helm for Hutchinson's 2004 disc, "The Crossing," as well as albums for Mary Gauthier, Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton and Susan Werner. Hutchinson's voice -- a marvelous instrument with just a slightly sandpapered edge to it -- achieves an uncommon sense of intimacy, nicely balancing with the polished (but not too-polished) musical backing, embracing arrangements and Hutchinson's own introspective but optimistic ballads.
PopMatters, Quentin B. Huff, March 6, 2008
I keep hearing people say that no one writes good songs anymore. Then, when a “good” one comes out, it gets treated like an anomaly. Well, Meg Hutchinson knows how to write a tune. The multi-talented Boston, Massachusetts entertainer has won quite a few songwriting awards, but the proof is in the music. You’ll find it by listening to Come Up Full, Ms. Hutchinson’s collection of organic, poetic narratives, each one communicating the singer-songwriter’s keen and descriptive observations of life, love, and loss. Hutchinson puts her degree in creative writing to good use, crafting metaphors based on nature to convey the truths of her experience. She’s got mountains, stars, fishing nets, birds, and feathers working on her behalf, but it never sounds trite. That’s a singular feat, considering her reworking of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” that makes me forget how high the original song ranks on my list of least favorites. Her voice brings everything together, a full and smoldering instrument in the same range as Alana Davis and Norah Jones. The main nitpick is that her voice is perhaps too smooth, too controlled, and when her song describes a tumultuous emotional journey that ends in peace, the voice tends to conveys the calm without hint of the storm. She’s reflective, but not always troubled, though a song like “Song for Jeffrey Lucey” and its homage to a soldier’s life in the military offers plenty of opportunity to express disquietude. Or maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m not accustomed to hearing someone who sounds healthy and well adjusted. I suppose that’s another thing that seems out of place in the music biz.
Top 21, John Shelton Ivany (www.jsitop21.com)
When singer-songwriters are good, they are really good. When people have the ability to truly express emotion in this form, on a personal level, it usually works out better than almost any genre I can think of. Meg Hutchinson can do this. A full color spectrum of emotions, with a heavy emphasis on personal strife, Hutchinson's music a great hybrid of coffee-shop folk and mainstream singer/songwriter style ala Jewel: simultaneously stripped down and incredibly well executed. Even though most tracks have a heavy flow of instrumentation, it still sounds like something I could see in the corner of my local coffee shop, and just as easily hear on the radio. Tackling such topics as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and general overcoming of life's hardships, Come Up Full is a step above most in the genre. ***Shelton's Single Of The Week: "America (Enough)"***
Cape Cod Times, Bill O'Neil, March 2, 2008
With a vocal style that falls somewhere between Natalie Merchant's and Eliza Gilkyson's, Boston-based singer-songwriter Meg Hutchinson comes up strong on "Come Up Full."
Berkshire Record, March 1, 2008, Will Whitehorn
To talk to Hutchinson, in one sense, is not unlike listening to a recording of hers. Blessed with a wistful, often poignant, voice, Hutchinson’s tone is one of boundless optimism when she discusses her joys and her home.
