"With a voice that rises from tender endearments to a bluesy, impassioned growl, Ruth Gerson sings folk-rock songs that reach for the status of anthems; she's a Bob Dylan fan who can be as galvanic as Bruce Springsteen."

- Jon Pareles, The New York Times

"An expressive, insightful singer/songwriter who’s been honing her skills over the course of a handful of albums, Ruth Gerson stands poised to expand her listening audience with her new full-length "Wake To Echo" (produced by John Cale collaborator Lance Doss & Ruth Gerson) in stores now. A stylistic triumph of exuberant performance and solid songcraft, this should be the record to put Ruth Gerson on the musical map. Though she’s already a European sensation and a top draw in her own NYC, intricate and rewarding tracks like "Where You Gonna Run To Maryjane?" will open the rest of our ears as well."

- Billboard

"If forced to describe Ruth Gerson, a singer and songwriter from New York, in 25 words or less, one could call her a...cross between Natalie Merchant and Patti Smith with a dash of the youthful Grace Slick thrown in for spice. Ms. Gerson...has received the sort of heady word of mouth that young performers dream of. In her performance at the tiny east village club, she exuded a bracing mixture of defiance and open-heartedness and a songwriting talent that is arresting. ...Although her songs have literary echoes (Calypsos and Widows' most obviously, with its reference to "The Odyssey") most are far from bookish. In a characteristic lyric, the singer faces down a miserable, scary world by declaring her feelings firmly and in a style that avoids the wispier, more ethereal side of folk music. "Evil Sex Queen" one of the two strongest numbers she performed on Friday, is a full-tilt, blues-flavored harangue against the poisonous stereotyping of women in music videos. The more reflective "Roof jumping," confronts suicide and a family plagued with alcoholism and drug addiction. [In] "Evil Sex Queen," which rides along on a twangy "Peter Gunn"-like beat, [Gerson] displayed a stamina that found her confidently treading the line between folk and rock."

- Stephen Holden, The New York Times

Ruth Gerson made her recording debut in 1995 with a low-budget concert album, "Very Live!" that captured the fire of her shows. Four albums and almost a decade later, the New York-based singer/songwriter has developed a more sophisticated sound while retaining the cathartic appeal that made her so compelling in the first place. Her latest album, "Wake to Echo" (Near Mint Recording Co.), is full of subtly hypnotic ballads and sprinkled with bursts of passion. Songs like "I Wanna Know" and "Keep You Warm" are so intense they seem more suited to arenas than coffeehouses. READ MORE OF THIS REVIEW!

- Jay Lustig, The Star-Ledger

Used to be that any song that had "Mary Jane" in the title had a "special" meaning. The 60's are long gone, but if "Where You Gonna Run To Mary Jane" isn't about smoking reefer, it's nevertheless got a gritty, folk-rock edge that suggests the dark side of the street, where fallen angels tread. Wake To Echo showcases Ruth Gerson's voice, a wild-honeyed alto reminiscent of Chrissie Hynde and, even more so, Martha Davis of the Motels... Gerson and co-producer Lance Doss know how to set a mood: "I'll Wait" shifts between jaded heartbreak and soaring hopefulness. And "Sarah and Yukel" bears an elegant, harrowing lyric: "You sleep and hear her laughing / Her face a perfect rose.... You hold on strong to the stranger in your arms and she burns and she burns and she burns...." Gerson's a fine, idiosyncratic talent, and her work, like certain illicit substances of days gone by, offers enlightenment and pleasure to a discerning few.

- Harp Magazine

"In recent years, the persona of the female singer-songwriter has pretty much run the entire spectrum: from Alanis Morissette's rage to Sheryl Crow wanting to have some fun, from Tori Amos' histrionics to Fiona Apple's image as a doe-eyed chanteuse. So where does that leave Ruth Gerson? She stands apart from all those women in that each of them has represented a uni-dimensional, almost cartoonish stereotype, while Gerson presents a fully-realized person capable of many moods, ideas and sounds. The closest modern comparison would probably be Sarah McLachlan, but Joni Mitchell really comes closer. If it's artistry you're looking for, examine "Roof Jumping" or "Shoah"; if it's depth you're looking for, check into her lyrics, which are impossible to see directly through (and this is only her first album, for Pete's sake). Fools and Kings was masterfully produced by Don Dixon (we heard that Dixon was contracted to record the usual four-song demo, but liked what he heard so much that he signed on for the entire project). There are leaders and there are followers, and there's no denying which category Ruth Gerson falls under. Hear her now, or hear her later; either way you'll hear her and you'll be moved."

- CMJ New Music Report (JACKPOT! Pick)

With the release of her first album in five years, the strong-voiced Gerson has something fresh to give fans. The powerful batch of folky rock includes confessional lyrics and capable electric guitar work courtesy of John Cale collaborator/guitarist Lance Doss. On the striking “Calypso and Widows,” when Gerson sings, “She’s living desperately / Like a mountain, falling, longing to be seen” in reference to a lonely widow, she sounds almost as anguished as her subject. Other bright spots include “Where You Gonna Run to Maryjane,” “You Called It Right” and the touching “I’m Sorry.”

For Fans of: Shawn Colvin – A Few Small Repairs, Paula Cole –This Fire, Fiona Apple – Tidal

- HJ, Performing Songwriter

"Ruth Gerson's "Fools and Kings" may be one more self-released album from yet another obscure singer-songwriter, but it has several important things going for it. For one thing, 10 of the 13 tracks were produced by former R.E.M. helmsman Don Dixon who gives the arrangements a tough, wiry muscle. For another, Gerson herself has a marvelous voice, full of sultry blues inflections and rock 'n roll power. The New York native alternates sharp observations with literary gestures [and] shows the potential for growing into her considerable talent. When she sticks to pop basics of lust and heartbreak on songs such as 'Maybe Its You' and 'Weakest Link in the Chain', she's already quite impressive."

- Geoffrey Himes, The Washington Post

"A native of New York City and a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton, Gerson writes songs that combine an almost revolutionary political passion with a wry intellectual sensibility. In the raucous 'Evil Sex Queen', Gerson lampoons rampant sexism in the media, tearing through a litany of chauvinistic misperceptions of women: 'With wet tits and love lips she'll dominate the male sex/ You better watch your back before this bitch attacks.' Gerson's goal as a singer is not to lecture but to connect with audiences through humor and humility... Here's hoping that such simple honesty lands the unsigned Gerson a not-so-humble record contract in the near future."

- Peter Galvin, Interview Magazine

"Inhabiting the spirits of her forebears, a dying father, Leonard Cohen, God, then giving voice to Shona Bailey, a young woman murdered in Harlem whose voice was never heard, Ruth Gerson plays a big wash of sound and fury; with a huge, flawless voice she makes her ideas sing, and every word is welded to the beat. Catch her at a small venue while you can."

- The Village Voice, VOICE CHOICES

"Potent...Gerson is fast becoming one of the most talked about singer-songwriters in town, thanks to her ability to offset satire with pathos."

- The New Yorker

"As impressive a singer/songwriter as any this critic has encountered in several years... I was grabbed first by the purity, suppleness and strength of her voice... and then by the vividness of her lyrics. An unusual talent to be sure and one I'm very much looking forward to hearing again."

- Chip Deffaa, The New York Post

"The New Poet of Rock."

- Leesa Chalk, Elle Magazine

"Gerson makes the kind of music that builds strong bonds with audiences. Many of her songs tell stories and she sings them in a raw, passionate style."

- Jay Lustig, NJ Star Ledger

LEGIT DOWNLOAD OF THE WEEK
Billboard.com regularly offers a handful of downloads, and this week's champ is New York singer/songwriter Ruth Gerson's "Where You Gonna Run to Maryjane."

- Las Vegas Mercury