“One of the smartest songwriters out there.”
– Performing Songwriter
“Maia Sharp: A Songwriter Set To Arrive”
– NPR’s “All Things Considered”
“A nifty power-pop record that could be her breakthrough...studded with hard-to-resist
hooks, ‘Echo’ trades the folk and jazz elements that colored Sharp’s earlier records for a
rocked-up take on the classic California singer-songwriter sound.”
– Boston Herald
“4 Stars - As the album title foreshadows, by the end, her acknowledgement of human flaws
rings like an all-encompassing echo. But it doesn’t feel heavy, because each song is carried
by hooky, instantly pleasing melodies with appealing, sophisticated chords underneath.”
– American Songwriter
“3 Stars!! – Sharp and Clear…..at her most clever, Sharp always leads with her heart and
comes across as a performer worth getting to know.”
– USA Today
“A sterling up-and-coming talent”
–The Washington Post
“Sharp delivers a dozen signature songs propelled by Don Was’ rocking
production…..beginning with the guitar anthem “Polite Society” and ending with the chilling self-
referential “The Girl on Her Way,” Sharp’s deft turns of phrase and consequential melodies are
mirrored in the stoic intimacy of her plaintive vocals”
– Music Connection
“...her finest release to date. An album whose rootsy songwriter pop crackles with shrewd
insight, keen writing and a strong dose of carpe diem.”
– Nashville Scene
“The songs [on Echo] reveal a woman with a richly mature sound, a distinctive edge and a
superb voice...Sharp's melodies are consistently engaging and her lyrics are clever...in a smart
fashion that reveals more provocative layers with each repeated listen.”
– The Springfield Republican
“The album is home to 12 striking songs, and Sharp has never sounded better.”
– Portland Press Herald
“Performing as a duo, Sharp combined a strong voice, playing acoustic guitar and keyboards for
an evening of enjoyable music. Sharp demonstrated that she was way more than just another
songwriter."
– Standard Time (Boston, MA)
“With Echo, Sharp appears to have changed her status from respected songwriter to solo artist
with a bullet...”
– Birmingham News
"Maia Sharp conjures the allure of yesteryears Brill Building luminaries....Sharp wields her crisp,
alluring choruses like a temptress; listeners will surely be ensnared. Her tear-soaked lyrics and
high-cresting melody conspire for a finely crafted lesson on invincible pop."
– Billboard
"Maia is making some of the most innovative and soulful music around with songs that are head
and shoulders above the rest. She has become one of my favorite artists….a brilliant album,
start to finish."
– Bonnie Raitt
"Maia Sharp is one of America's great singer-songwriters. Her storytelling runs profound and
deep while honoring a pop tradition that urges you to sing along and feel good. Maia sings with
an angelic voice that's shrouded in stark realism and a healthy dose of cynicism.....it's an exotic
cocktail!"
– Don Was
"I have never heard a better collection of songs. They just stick in my head"
– Jim Keltner
“A potpourri of pop, country and rock with hints of jazz, mixing banjos and mandolins with
cellos and violas to produce a sound that’s polished without being slick. Sharp’s free-wheeling
approach recalls the spirit of Dylan’s pre-motorcycle crash songs.”
– No Depression
[about Maia's debut album, Hardly Glamour] "Maia's CD is absolutely wonderful. I'm so glad I
got to write with her. Maia is an old soul and a new friend."
– Carole King
"Maia Sharp is a musician's musician- her songs have the harmonic twists and turns that always
kill me, her voice gets to my very heart and soul, and she still manages to deliver those classic,
fabulous hooks."
– Jonatha Brooke
"In the tradition of great female artists, Karla Bonoff, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Shawn
Colvin, Sarah McLachlan....now enter Maia Sharp."
– Art Garfunkel
“Maia Sharp reminds listeners of her prodigious talents as a pop songwriter on the new
CD ‘Echo,’ a melodious blast produced by the great Don Was, anchored by master drummer
Jim Keltner and featuring a cool cameo by Bonnie Raitt...”
– Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Maia has one of the most soulful and unique voices I've heard. She is a true artist, a great
songwriter, and plays a mean saxophone!"
– Terri Clark
"There is a string attached to Maia Sharp's voice. And when she sings, you find that the other
end is attached to your gut. Her voice is lush and sensual and the emotions she articulates
resonate with the small feelings we have that sometimes are hard to face..there is an edge to
her songs, but also a softness...she is lyrical and conversational at the same time. Her CD was
the only one in my machine for a month. Her work inspires me to dig deeper."
– Kathy Mattea