Mary Ann Farley--Press MLOC2

On her second album, critically-acclaimed Mary Ann Farley tears through 12 tracks with a sly but rockin’ elegance. Farley is one of the rare musicians that can tackle relationships in a way that is both incisive and utterly hummable. In fact, the opener “About You” is the perfect invocation into Farley’s world of unsteady romance. The delivery here, with its fractured sweetness, suggests if you don’t follow her, she’ll be fine, but if you do, you’ll both be better than before...Whether it’s the pounding organ of the predatory rockabilly rave-up “Crush”—which may be one of the best pop songs of the year—or the moving “Buried,” which brings to mind Aimee Mann, My Life of Crime should get Farley booked as one of the most important performers around.

—Alex Green, Comfusion Magazine

There is an element of pop in this album’s presentation, [falling] somewhere between the Beatles (whose “Run for Your Life” is given an affecting slow-motion makeover) and bubblegum...Music fans who look a little deeper will fall hard for Mary Ann Farley.

—Ricky Flake, The Sun Herald, Biloxi, Mississippi

After her 1997 debut disc, Daddy’s Little Girl, Mary Ann Farley was a critical success among peers and her influences...and it seemed she could do little wrong. But the follow-up to her debut, My Life of Crime, was a long time coming—five years, in fact, enough time for many careers to come and go and be revived again. But her style of witty lyrics blended with Beatles pop capabilities isn’t far from the surface on her latest disc. And it’s something the Hoboken, NJ native should take pride in… “Buried” is an early high point, with Farley’s extremely fragile vocals sounding like a youthful Marianne Faithful...And the ‘60s pop nugget “For You to Do That” sounds like it’s something Dusty Springfield missed along the way...A very solid album. Hopefully it’s follow-up will be prior to 2007.

—Jason MacNeil, PopMatters.com

With a touch of country, plenty of pop, and a folk-inspired style, Mary Ann Farley turns ordinary singer-songwriter folk-pop into a living, breathing entity, songs that mean as much to the listener as they do to the person singing them. And as much as the songs are about her lyrics and her voice, the melodies shine, too.

—Alex Steininger, In Music We Trust

Every once in awhile, a new and fresh voice comes along in pop music, and Mary Ann Farley is this voice...with songs that are both light-hearted and deep at the same time. If you’re looking for an album that is both fun and thought-provoking, My Life of Crime is sure to put a smile on your face.

—Dennis Halsey, bestfemalemusicians.com

This [is] an extremely talented singer/songwriter from the land of Sinatra (Hoboken, NJ)...Imagine Joni Mitchell meets the Bangles meets Ani Difranco meets Siouxie and the Banshees...well, maybe you get the idea. She writes great words which are delivered by a delicious vocal style that sounds great in front of a full band or a single guitar.

—Raw Egg Radio

I saw Mary Ann Farley play (completely by chance) in Manhattan and she was awesome. I liked just about EVERY song, and that is rare for me...She has mature lyrics, quirky yet driving rock/pop rhythms, and a slightly quavering voice that commands attention a la Sam Phillips. I also have her CD—both are highly recommended.

—Charlie Cheney, IndieBandManager.com

Hoboken singer/songwriter Mary Ann Farley’s power of reserve is evident on her new CD, My Life of Crime. Where others would scream and clamor to get a point across (and sell records), Farley uses nuance, intelligence and 12 very agreeable and enjoyable pop songs to state her case. Thank goodness for that. Her songs are clean, pure, multi-layered takes on affairs of the heart and her, er, life of crime.

—Chris Jordan, Home News Tribune, New Brunswick, NJ

My Life of Crime...an impressive and engaging follow-up to 1997’s critically acclaimed Daddy’s Little Girl, featuring a clever cover of the Beatles “Run For Your Life.”

—John James, Positively Yeah Yeah Yeah, Cincinnati, OH

Mary Ann Farley is someone more people should know about by now. The Hoboken, NJ-based pop singer has a wonderfully warm voice, an intelligence in her writing that eludes most popular acts, and a strong collection of songs on her new independent disc, My Life of Crime...Her tunes are firmly entrenched in the pop-rock tradition and vaguely recall many female chart toppers of yore but aren’t derivative of any of them.

—Ray Hogan, The Stamford Advocate, Stamford, CT

She has a charming and heavenly voice, and a command of the acoustic guitar to mesmerize audiences everywhere. [She has] beautiful songs of love, loss and everything else.

—Eugene Mulero, The Hudson Current

.De songs blijven vrij snel hangen en sommige ervan hebben potentiële hitkracht, zoals het zweverige en van oosterse invloeden behepte Might (leuk ‘Nananana-refreintje’ overigens) en de afsluitende titeltrack. Naast het leuke hoesontwerp, waarvoor Farley letterlijk zelf tekent (ze was immers verzot op de cartoons van Bugs Bunny), willen we u één song zeker niet onthouden; de prachtige coverversie van de Beatles song Run For Your Life, ingetogen gebracht en begeleid door piano en viool (Tori Amos zou het niet beter hebben gekund!). Wie eens iets anders wil uitproberen dan al die rootsy stuff van de laatste tijd en niet vies is van poppy toestanden, is bij deze Mary Ann Farley zeker aan het goede adres.

—Bruno Depeyper, Rootstown Music Free-zine, Belgium

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