Time After Time

As is so often the case, the talents of singer Eva Cassidy did note come to public attention until after her death. Cassidy died at a mere 33 years of age in 1996, and up until then she'd only been known in the local music scene of Washington D.C. Subsequently, a word-of-mouth groundswell earned her posthumous popularity in England, which then wafted back over to the U.S. TIME AFTER TIME is a good introduction to Cassidy's work. More an interpreter than a writer, Cassidy completely inhabits everything from Simon & Garfunkel's folky ballad "Kathy's Song" to Joni Mitchell's hippie anthem "Woodstock" and Bill Withers's brooding R&B classic "Ain't No Sunshine". Throughout the album, her singing is consistently both strong and reserved, betraying emotion without resorting to showy indulgence. An apt comparison might be an updated, American Sandy Denny, with whom Cassidy shares a special kind of quiet soul.

Rolling Stone (8/30/01, p.125)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...She effortlessly shuffles styles and the song selections are astute...Cassidy comes across as a bluesier version of English folk singer Sandy Denny....she melts her personality into the fabric of each melody..."

Q (9/00, p.121)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...Her towering voice, capable of handling Paul Simon's 'Kathy's Song' with fragile dignity, belting out 'Easy Street Dream', and freshening up standards such as 'The Letter' and 'Ain't No Sunshine'..."

Mojo (8/00, p.102)
- "...Anybody who loves to really sing would give an arm and a leg to come close to recording an album like this one."