Foxhole Prayers
Her rich, seductive vocals remind me of Lucy Kaplansky and Canada’s under-appreciated Lynn Miles, and her instantly accessible songs—a mix of gorgeous ballads and well-hooked rockers—come loaded with pensive, clever lyrics. The instrumentation, which includes acoustic and electric guitars, mellotron, and drum machines, seems redolent of the great solo albums by Crowded House’s Neil Finn. There’s not a weak song in the bunch but standouts include “Lucky,” a hard-driving rocker; the moody, beautifully sung “What You Can’t Outrun”; and “Carnival Barker,” which employs metaphor to address the Trump era: “You’ll get a circus, history told us, if you vote for a clown, but the grifters pitched their tents and the good word got drowned out.” - No Depression
The inspiration may be from a century ago, but the sound is firmly fixed in the present. With yearning guitar riffs propelled by a driving rhythm section and coupled with Peters’ vocals which were made for musical storytelling, “Carnival Barker” is a desert-bound open-road tune kicking up its fair share of dust. - Mother Church Pew
October 5 2018 • 10 songs
The Burden of Unshakeable Proof
The Burden of Unshakeable Proof finds Peters, backed by a full band, exploring matters of the head and heart in ten indie-pop-flavored folk-rock tunes that are often melancholy but from a reflective rather than gloomy perspective. Then again, lyrics alone don't make a great album and Peters is equally skilled at setting her words to hook-filled melodies, which she delivers with restrained yet crystal clear vocals. - No Depression
Future generations may refute Peters’s claim that “I am not a script you’re gonna study / I’m not a lesson to be learned” for The Burden of Unshakeable Proof is a master class in probing matters of the heart. - Bucket Full of Nails
March 1 2016 • 10 songs
The Burn The Truth The Lies
"Peters is a singular lyricist, a true wordsmith whose songs are, not unlike a fine blade, forged by fire and polished with purpose, dedication and love for both the art and the craft of writing." - mysanantonio.com
“The singer-songwriter’s fifth full-length, the album’s rich with intimate observations and relaxed, natural musicianship even on exuberant anthems such as “Grateful.” Her writing and unaffected deliver evokes Aimee Mann as well as the Weakerthans’s John K. Samson” - David Greenwald
"A true craftsman,Vanessa's lyrics challenge the listener to actually sit and listen to avoid missing insightful lyrics or a clever turn of phrase." - No Depression
2012 • 11 Songs
With the Sentimentals
"Vanessa’s songs describe a world that’s somewhere between Raymond Carver and David Lynch; the songs are vignettes of American life packed with highly visual images and a hint of darkness at the centre." - Music Riot
"Peters's 2015 release With the Sentimentals is another collection of introspective, intimate, literate, metaphor-rich songs and is her strongest release since, if not the equal of, Sweetheart. It is highly recommended." - No Depression
2015 • 10 songs
The Christmas We Hoped For
"Just what Santa Claus ordered: a tuneful and tasteful take on a dozen Christmas songs! There's nothing pretentious or hipster here." - No Depression
"Texas-based indie artist Vanessa Peters applies her jangle-pop approach to a dozen holiday tunes to nice effect. Many are already holiday standards, like "Winter Wonderland" and "White Christmas," while others, like her cover of "All That I Want" by The Weepies, add a bit of indie cred. The spare production results in an album that is wistfully nostalgic without being overly sentimental." - Rhapsody 2011 Christmas Music Roundup
"Peters and company took a simple, heartfelt, straightforward approach to the songs and production. The result is a Christmas soundtrack that'll stand up to time and heat." - mysanantonio.com
2011 • 12 songs
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Sweetheart, Keep Your Chin Up
"With an emotive voice (somewhere between Suzanne Vega and Laura Cantrell), Vanessa sings some of the most memorable personal lyrics I've heard from any singer-songwriter, male or female." - No Depression
"I defy anyone with a ear for a catchy melody sung in a beautiful, rich and completely engaging voice not to be enamoured with this baby." - Americana UK
2009 • 14 songs
Little Films
"Born in Dallas but now an Austin resident, Vanessa Peters is the best kind of singer-songwriter: astute enough to explore the deeper recesses of relationships but tough enough to avoid the pitfalls of sentimentality. Little Films, produced by Peters along with Salim Nourallah, is folk-pop of a rare quality." - Dallas Observer
"Literary folk-pop delivered with coffeehouse warmth and sundae sweetness, Little Films is an album of subtle charms. So subtle, in fact, that you'll be won over by it without realizing it." - Whisperin' and Hollerin'
2006 • 14 songs
Blackout
"Blackout, is an acoustic EP featuring Vanessa's voice and guitar reminiscent of Patty Griffin's early work. Recorded masterfully by Salim Nourallah (Kristy Kruger, Rhett Miller, Nourallah Brothers), the stripped-down production allows the listener to focus on the building blocks of any good song – a lingering melody well-sung and well-played, and lyrics that carry their own weight. The songs are simple and direct, yet have a resonance far beyond the easy folk/rock categorization." - NPR's All Songs Considered
2006 • 5 songs