Press
- 2011 Artist of the Year, My Rural Radio
- 2011 Nominations: Best Female Performer – New England Music Awards
- Singer/songwriter of the year – Limelight Magazine
- Face/voice/new single featured in Izotope Nectar’s promotional online video campaign. [Click here to see video]
- 2010 Face/voice of Ooh, ooh it’s love” Subaru of New England TV/radio ad campaign.
- Winner Radio 92.9/Boch Subaru. To read the entire story and watch the commercial [click here]
Check out SB on Fox 25 Morning News, Boston, talking about her work as a Music Therapist [click here to watch] or on Berklee College of Music’s ‘Pulse’ Vlog HERE
click to see SB’s RPK on Reverbnation where she is currently #2 on the charts for Folk in Cambridge, MA!
Press Reviews
No Depression
Lee Zimmerman, 3/04/12
“Sarah Blacker is one of the brighter artists to grab our attention recently. With a revelatory vocal that veers from a child’s skittish enthusiasm to the essence of emotion, she’s equally adept when it comes to expressive melodies. Such remarkable and consistent quality is unusual, Chalk her up as one of the more delightful discoveries of the past year, and let’s hope that indeed there are Blacker days ahead.”
[click here to read on]
Boston Music Spotlight, Our Best Bets
March 9-11, 2012
“One of Boston’s best.”
WERS 88.9 FM
“friend, fan-favorite & kindred spirit.”
the Noise
April 2012
“Sarah Blacker sounds like a little bit of Emmylou Harris mixed with Regina Spektor and a smidge of Feist. This six song download lilts, tumbles and swoons along with some of the best pop acoustic music I’ve heard in a great while. The vocal harmonies are sublime. I can’t get enough of this release. Make more music soon!”
“These Summer Nights” is a track I sincerely hope I get to hear live someday. It’s so intense and melodic, and I can picture a packed club in Cambridge singing along and stomping their feet to this passionate creation.” Click HERE to read both reviews
Lulee’s Beat
March Montly Beat (2012)
“I’m just gonna say it, this lovely lady is the shit! Vocally, Sarah surprises you with jazzy licks and rich harmony parts that excite everyone in the room.”
[read entire feature here]
FRONT COVER of NOISE MAGAZINE (Nov, 2011) / BIG SHOT CENTERFOLD picture (Oct 2011)
Max Bowen
“Blacker’s a familiar face within the local music scene, an even more recognizable voice. Every time I’ve seen her in concert she packs the house.”
Tri State Indie, Central PA
Oct 2011
“Sarah Blacker is a star. Never heard of her? Listen once and you will never forget her. She received the MyRuralRadio Artist of the Year Award that night and played an achingly beautiful set. She writes poignant songs that speak simply and honestly and wow, can she strum a guitar.”
Editor’s pick
Boston Phoenix 3/10/11
“Sarah Blacker celebrates the release of her new CD, Come What May, which features her impressive voice over wistful picking.”
Performer Magazine, April 2011
“There are few singer/songwriters in Boston who will be remembered for years to come. However, Sarah Blacker’s enchanting voice and pinpoint sense of melody put her on pace to outlast most passing trends.”[click here to download April's issue]
*FULL REVIEW* p43
Me and Thee Coffeehouse (interview for gig supporting Kate Taylor) Sept 2011
Kathy Sands-Boehmer
“Mark my words. Sarah Blacker is a name that you will be hearing more and more. Sarah has a helluva voice, great guitar (and uke) technique, and a terrific on stage presence that will leave you wanting more.” [click here for entire interview]
Lowell Sun Artist Feature
October 2011
“With spot on vocals and a style of music and melody that is all her own, Sarah Blacker is certainly making a name for herself on the New England music scene. Sarah Blacker not only treats the audience to her music but delivers it with a storyteller style and an extremely watchable stage presence.” [click here for entire article]
Portland Press Herald Sept 2011
Aimsel Ponti
“She’s a smart songwriter with a radiant voice.”
the Noise, Boston
March 2011 – Max Bowen
“Sarah Blacker’s got a talent far and above what most singers can deliver. Her work is soulful, powerfully emotional, and can make you laugh, cry, or just forget whatever it is you’re thinking about and be absorbed by the music. Such is the case with Come What May, Blacker’s sophomore album and a continuation of her unique lyrical abilities and compelling songwriting. Listen to this album and you’re a few steps closer to knowing the woman behind the words. Do yourself a favor and listen to it twice.” [to read entire review, click here]
Boston Band Crush [the New England Americana Festival Preview] April ’11
“the qualities of her voice create a situation where the listener is almost magnetically and inexorably drawn to continue listening to the track…she sings her way around corners and through tiny spaces under chairs and tables. Blacker is like the mouse that appears out of nowhere and leads you on a chase through sections of your house you didn’t even know existed.”
Feature Interview w/Dave Morrison
the Valley Patriot [New England ] March 2011
“In an era of manufactured pop music, Sarah Blacker is a breath of fresh air. Her latest CD “Come What May,” is an eclectic blend of folk, jazz and country. Blacker’s style is reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, combined with a more contemporary sound with artists such as Brett Dennen and Belinda Carlisle.”
[to read entire interview, click here]
Featured Artist, February 2011
The Alternate Root Magazine
“Sarah Blacker has the kind of voice that bends, swirls, flies high and goes down low without ever losing any of its power. Though it is control and an understanding of its power that allows that tone its potential, Sarah manages to deliver in a manner that lets the songs live in texture rather than technique.”
New Music this Week! Someone You Should Know
Ryan’s Smashing Life 2/16/11
“Sarah Blacker is a very pretty woman but the real beauty evident here immediately are the notes of these songs. Blacker’s new album, Come What May is released this week and it’s meeting the right ears. Music plays a much more profound role for Blacker than with other singers. I wouldn’t have believed this until the depth of her devotion to music Blacker appeared on Fox25 here in Boston this week, a rare but well deserved chance to be seen by thousands. A more compassionate soul devoted to music you may never see. I can’t help but wonder is Blacker is capable of helping us all through her music? Definitely One to Watch in 2011, this is Sarah Blacker.”
[click here to read entire article and download a free song]
the Weekly Dig 2/16/11 Boston, MA
CD REVIEW
“Even without the jazz and folk guitar variations twisting their way through the melodies on ‘Come What May,’ Sarah Blacker’s voice is intoxicating enough. ‘Knocked the Winds’ has enough sassy trumpet and trombone to make us feel as though we’ve stumbled onto a Norah Jones track. Blacker’s seamless mix of songs containing electric guitar with numbers on the mandolin establishes her as a powerhouse songwriter. ‘Come What may’ is a listen-through guaranteed to get stuck in your head. The entire album is sweet and melancholic, upbeat and optimistic in a wholesome way.
[click here to read entire review]
Music Scene: Sarah Blacker stays truer to herself on new CD
The Patriot Ledger – Jay Miller
“The most arresting song on the new album is “I’m Like a Train, My Lord,” which Blacker sings solo, with just her guitar. Blacker sings it as soaring folk-gospel, providing plenty of emotional power and uplift, yet uncovering all manner of exquisite subtlety in the melody. More striking still, while singing she’s also playing guitar with some delicate finger-picking lines that are equally stunning. It would be an impressive performance for either a guitarist or vocalist, but to have someone do both simultaneously is impressive.”
[to read full article, click here]
Oliver DiPlace [review of 'Come What May'] 1/11/11
“Some singers have a rock voice and a folk voice that could be two different people, but Blacker doesn’t need to do that. Over all, what is clear is that Blacker has a clear sense of the subtleties of human emotion, and she can write songs of finely shaded emotion… Come What May is the kind of album that will start conversations about how each song should be interpreted. That is something that only fine songwriters achieve. Sarah Blacker proves here that she belongs in their company, and she backs it up with the quality of her performance.” [click here to read entire review]
Live Music News and Review
Interview 2/05/11
“Sarah’s website describes her as a catchy songwriter with influences spanning from acoustic rock to jazz and paints her as part Joni Mitchell and part Norah Jones. These are fair assessments, but only give up part of the tale. Blacker’s accomplished playing on instruments as varied as the guitar, percussion, and mandolin mean that she is no reluctant songwriter thrust into the spotlight, but a real songwriting musician capable of hanging with any of the Hub’s brightest offerings. Her buzz is growing with high praise from local press and radio”
[click here for entire interview]
Bill Copeland Music News [Review of 'Come What May']
1/26/11
“Sarah Blacker’s new Come What May CD stands up to repeated listening. She can keep a lot of elements together as her voice, with its persistent edge, forges everything into the song’s backbone. The emotion is in her lyrics and stories and she just lets her special voice caress the melodies. She doesn’t just sing her chorus, she finesses it.” click [here] to read entire review
Seven Days, Vermont’s Independent Voice.
‘First Lady of Song(writers)’ 8/27/10
“Sarah Blacker is an old soul in a modern woman’s body… fans and music scribes up and down the Eastern seaboard swoon to her sultry, emotionally charged music. One crit even mused that Blacker is “the perfect blend of Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell.” …there are good reasons Blacker inspires fawning hyperbole.”
Jake Sorgen, WERS FM Boston [interview from 'Emerging Artist Series' 7/13/10
"Performing "Smitten" live on Tuesday, Blacker showed off her impressive dynamic range as much as her melodic reach. She moves from a breathy whisper to a commanding presence within one or two verses, and has a warm and full tone to her voice that brings the likes of Joni Mitchell... She picks and strums her black small-body acoustic like a painter personalizing a palette of colors; the individual sounds do not mean as much as the overall atmosphere her songs create."
My Rural Radio Artist of the Month, November 2010
"Her voice is "probably what the angels sound like" - Michael Males
see artist feature [here]
Stuff Magazine, Boston [portland picks] 11/23/10
“Black Friday gets even Blacker at One Longfellow Square, as east-coast indie-folk songwriter Sarah Blacker … a former full-time music therapist, wades through murky, mournful waters with a well-traveled guitar and a vocal style that gracefully suppresses the syrupy stuff. Nothing kills a good pop song like embellished mirth, and Blacker knows how to scale it back.”
Macon Telegraph, Macon, GA 9/12/10
“Sarah Blacker, a folky siren…Blacker’s sweet, somewhat sorrowful vocals and almost Celtic inflections are a welcome change for the more melody-inclined of us.”
the Daily Gamecock, USC, Columbia SC 9/14/10
Colin Campbell
“she’s quickly becoming a sensation…the White Mule on Main Street is the place to go tonight for a great show…it will surely be an unforgettable night of live music.” [read entire interview w/SB here]
folktowne.com [Central PA's home for folk life, music and art] 12/07/10
Bennett Rabiega
“Her voice was excellent, as were her songs…the performer I that kept coming to mind as I listened to her great voice, excellent songs and quirky stage patter (which often made me laugh) was Shawn Colvin. I’m always pleasantly surprised when someone I’ve only heard on a recording turns out to be just as good live.”
The Weekender, Northeast PA, 9/17/10
Christine Freeberg
“There aren’t many people who can teach themselves how to play guitar. There aren’t many people who can write sinuous, provocative song lyrics…then again, there aren’t many people like Sarah Blacker. With her sharp, clean and powerful voice, Blacker has been compared to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Ella Fitzgerald. With lines that read, “I know you’ve got a dream, but am I in it?/ I know you’ve got a head, but do I spin it?/ Do I rattle your bones?/ Can I take you home, and casually begin it?” it’s easy to understand why “Smell of Caramel” is Blacker’s favorite song on her first album. The only hard part is imagining why any man would answer those questions with “no.” [read entire article here]
BOSTON MUSIC SPOTLIGHT
[CHECK OUT this "GETTING TO KNOW" FEATURE interview on SARAH BLACKER]
Wellesley Townsman Front Page Feature
[click here to read the article]
‘Songstress Sarah Blacker on Verge of Stardom’
Jay Miller, The Patriot Ledger
“Blacker’s songs are arresting for their honesty and immediacy, not to mention her skill at turning a phrase, and those gorgeous pop melodies. Blacker’s voice is alto/soprano with an engaging childlike quality, yet she uses it with utter confidence, affecting sweet intimacy in places, strength and resolve in others, and quiet passion in tunes like “Bad I Been.” And her lyrics and unique and compelling; you have to love a line like “days like today are good for nothing but eating dark chocolate …” from “Smell of Caramel.” And the intriguing ambivalence behind “Story Song,” with its chorus “I know that you’re leaving, but still, you take my breath away” is only one reason it evokes the best of Joni Mitchell. In another place, “I Should Speak” is the type of dreamy pop that made stars of Natalie Merchant and 10,000 Maniacs.”
To read the rest of the article, [click here]
The Daily News Transcript:
Stories of the Decade 1/08/10 at 1:11pm, Jay Miller
“… Live music continued to struggle, record stores virtually disappeared, and clubs came and went. But local vets like Chris Pahud, Carla Ryder, Les Sampou, or the Swinging Steaks kept raising goosebumps with their sounds. And new talent like Scituate’s Girls Guns & Glory and Wellesley’s Sarah Blacker made it worth your while to explore the local music scene.”
Patch.com
Christopher Treacy
“Blacker is an excellent example of what folk-pop ambition looks like in the new DIY music mess: she’s driven…the payoff for her efforts has begun to really show. If Blacker’s a beginner, just imagine the possibilities once she really gets going.”
[click here to read entire article]
Ben Tan, WERS FM Boston [interview from 'Live Music Week' 4/13/10
"No matter what form it takes, Blacker's passion for music has accomplished great things, and she and her top-notch band still have big plans."[click here to read entire feature]
Electric City, Scranton, PA
Randy Shemanski
“Her folksy rock sound brings to mind the music of Sarah McLachlan or Joni Mitchell with plenty of smooth, eloquent acoustic guitar and piano stylings.” To read entire article [click here]
The Noise, Boston
“I like Sarah’s disc; she certainly takes you on a ride. I started hearing a Natalie Merchant-type timbre… Another complimentary aside to Sarah’s voice, I might mention Dolores O’Riordan. Sarah has produced a quality work with a great understanding of what it takes to deliver a musical message.”
(Mike Loce)
To read the rest of the article, [click here]
‘The Night is Young,’
Aimsel Ponti, Portland Press Herald, Portland, ME – Jan. 7, 2010
“Singer-songwriter Blacker first flew onto my radar last June when I heard her record, “The Only Way Out Is Through.” I pulled it off the shelf last week and gave it another spin, and guess what? I still love it. Swoon for yourself with four songs at www.sarahblacker.com. “Sandpiper” is my current favorite.” [click here to read article]
‘The Night is Young,’
Aimsel Ponti, Portland Press Herald, Portland, ME – June 4, 2009
“You’ve taken the day off from work and driven for about an hour, hugging the coastline with the windows open. Then you find the sunniest spot and find you’re the only person on the beach. The wind is warm, the gulls dart and dance above and beside you. You close your eyes and smile for a good long time. Such an enchanting experience is what I liken to listening to Sarah Blacker’s debut album, ‘The Only Way Out is Through.’” [read original article]
Candy O’Terry, Magic 106.7, Boston
“I wanted to reach out to you [sb] and let you know…singer to singer…that your voice is absolutely unique…memorable...incredible.”…“I believe she’s a young artist that our listeners should know about, and I love the fact that she’s an artist with a social conscience. She’s a local singer to watch, that’s for sure.”
[Click Here to hear SB's live interview on Magic 106.7 FM]
as part of Candy O’s ‘Exceptional Women’ Feature
Candy O’Terry cont. Wellesley Weston Magazine
“The other girl I have my eye on is from Wellesley: singer/songwriter Sarah Blacker.” [original article]
Ryan’s Smashing Life Music Blog, writer: Nick Parker
‘Getting to Love Sarah Blacker’
“Blacker plays moving folk, often upbeat, always heart-warming. Listening to tracks on her album “The Only Way Out is Through” gives you a sense that you are stealing a chance to hear someone play just for you, before she rises from local star to national act.” [entire article]
Oliver di Place Music Blog 11/08/10
““I first heard the voice of Sarah Blacker on Keegan McInroe’s last album. There, I was impressed with her power. But, in her own work, Blacker shows that she can also get excellent result with a more restrained vocal delivery. Her voice is clear, and here she shows tenderness and even a hint of humor in her delivery. Elsewhere, she rocks out or uses fuller arrangements, but Early Girl has just accordion and Blacker’s acoustic guitar for accompaniment, so Blacker must carry the song with her vocal. She is more than up to the task. This earlier album shows a wonderful stylistic range, but it also makes sense as a whole.”
[click here to read entire article]
Max Bowen, the Noise, Boston
chose Sarah Blacker, as his #1 artist from his ‘Top 10 of ’09′ List, and said,
“A beautiful singing voice, with lyrics that touch the deepest of emotions”
WMFO 91.5 FM ‘Something About the Women’
“Sarah Blacker, an amazing singer-songwriter whose CD “The Only Way Out is Through” is destined to become an SATW favorite. Listen to SB’s interview [here]
the Fly Magazine, Harrisburg, PA
“While she compares herself in stature to a woodland fairy, Boston singer-songwriter Sarah Blacker employs guitar, mandolin and djembe to create a towering sound. A sunshiney folkster.”
Entertainment Lancaster, Lancaster, PA
“Tonight they’ll [Leo DiSanto, Steven Courtney] be sharing the stage with Boston-based diva Sarah Blacker, who’s been described as “the perfect blend of Joni Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald.” Steven, Leo, we love you guys, but it’s hard to imagine you on the stage with Joni and Ella. Fortunately, we don’t have to imagine it. We can just be there.”
Jeff Appleton, Marathon Entertainment, AAA Radio Promoter
“I receive a lot of music and have to turn down working many things because, while they may very well be wonderful cds, I just don’t feel passionate about them. They aren’t grabbing me. Your music did exactly what I hoped it would do…it grabbed me. I really am enjoying all the music you sent me. I think the songs are very strong, and just as important, with the many many women who release music to this format, your stands out. You do not sound like the many others I get every month. I think your vocals stand out as original and very engaging which is a big plus.”
Laurel Redington, WMVY, Martha’s Vineyard, MA
“Rob gave me your CD and it is fantastic. I really enjoy it and have enoyed it more with each listen, which of course is the sign of a great record! I want to hear you sing in person…you really know how to use your voice. It’s refreshing to be introduced to an artist that thinks outside the box and takes some chances. There are so many females out there that sound THE SAME… I feel a real identity with you.”
[click here] to hear SB live on WMVY
Barbara Dacey, WMVY
“I Should Speak” featured in Best of Unchartered Waters 2009. [click here to read]
‘Sandpiper’(The Only Way Out is Through) ‘Song of the Day,’ WMVY 2/24/10
Chris Darling ‘Us Folk’ WMPG FM, Portland, ME
“I really like your vocal stylings, you have a powerful, powerful voice…you’re not a very large woman, but you belt it out like Aretha!”
Bob McKillop, mainefolkmusic.com
“Sarah Blacker’s voice is sweet, clear, sharp, and precise, supple, happy, and full of mischief. She sounds like a street-savy urban vocal busker with world-class voice training.
Mainers will hear a bit of local songstress Emilia Dahlin in her phrasing and timbre. Her record, “The Only Way Out is Through,” is full of great songs, built on rhythm, beat, and groove, with stories of people who are on the cusp of change, or who are in need of it. Sarah is lyrically very direct; she tells it like it is, but the love she has for people, and for the world, come through loud and clear. She plays very nicely executed fingerstyle guitar parts on most of the tracks, and the arrangements instrumentation are unique and surprising. But the focus is on her beautiful voice, as it should be. Sarah carries the promise of a bit of trouble, or at least excitement, in her voice; there is mischief and fun to be had when listening to these songs. I loved “Smell of Caramel” for it’s reggae beat, which made me want to get up and dance, but my favorite on the record is “Bad I Been”, a confession of irresponsibility, which is really an irrepressible love of life in the moment. I totally enjoyed the album, and can strongly recommend it to anyone looking for some great music and lots of fun!”
Ron Bowen, WXRV 92.5 The River, Boston’s Independent Radio
“The perfect blend of Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell.”
Gwyn McAllister, The Martha’s Vineyard Times
“Between songs, Ms. Blacker charmed the crowd with short intros and a little repartee with the audience. Her naturalness, sense of humor, and easy laugh gave the evening the feel of hanging out with a few close friends.”
[click here to read the entire article]
MV Times 5/27/10: “on the forefront of the folk rock circuit,” and called the music, a “pleasing mix of jazzy folk rock delivered in a voice that’s been called “a cross between Joni Mitchell and Ella Fitzgerald.”
MV Gazette : “smoky -voiced Sarah Blacker,” and “Joni-Mitchell-esque songstress.”
Macon Telegraph, Macon, GA
“Sarah Blacker, of Boston, has a fresh, crisp sound distinctive from the sea of a-girl-and-her-guitar acts. Blacker comes in a diminutive package but her skills on guitar, mandolin and djembe are anything but small. According to Blacker’s Web site, her entrance into the touring world of a musician came from her work in music therapy. Blacker specialized in working with autistic children. As if by divine intervention, her position at Boston Medical Center was cut due to financial strains, allowing her to hit the road to promote her first album, “The Only Way Out is Through,” which was released October of 2009. Get a fresh perspective Tuesday at Golden Bough Bookstore.”
Encore Pub, Wilmington, NC
“A prolific songwriter with a unique jazzy/folk-rock style.”
Star News, Wilmington, NC
John Staton
“Alanis inspired folk-rock.”
Carmelita, hostess of WAAF 107.3/97.7′s ‘Baystate Rock’
“A very, very gifted singer/songwriter.”
[click here to listen to SB on WAAF]
Anna Maria Tocci, Owner/Booking North Star music Café, Portland, ME
“Sarah Blacker is a bright light. Her performance is a wonderful combination of her varied musical talents and brilliant personality. She invites the audience in and treats them to an intimate musical connection.”
The Skinny Pancake, Burlington, VT
8/28/10 “…who can channel Joni Mitchell’s worldly wisdom and boldness? Tonight’s act, Sarah Blacker, gets pretty close in those respects. A beautiful, full voice with Joni’s occasional clear staccato, Blacker’s songs are all her own folk-rock combination with a poise and playfulness akin to beloved folk ladies of the past. Don’t miss this talented up and comer tonight … at The Skinny!”
10/09 ”We are thrilled to host this rising star’s CD release party.. Obscurely folkish, innately jazzish, all talent singer-songwriter. Sarah combines her signature voice with original, organic, guitar picking to deliver a diverse range of music that goes beyond the genre of singer songwriter.”
Fellini’s #9, Charlottesville, VA
“An event not to be missed!”
mainetoday.com
“There is a grace in Sarah’s laid-back, soulful flare and a great energy that really comes through in the slight turning of a phrase or a small change in vocal color that speaks volumes.”
MusicFest Committee, Dedham, MA
“A consummate professional and a crowd favorite!”