Gretchen Peters
... If Peters' '96 debut, The Secret of Life, had the answers, her edgier follow-up poses the questions, mostly about how to navigate rough emotional terrain. Full of surprises - Eddie's First Wife has a randy lesbian at its center - Peters brings the pop sensibility of Sheryl Crow to meditations on Amelia Earhart and Picasso's cat. Easy to see why she's already captured the Brits. B+ --Entertainment WeeklyRarely has a singer-songwriter had a better showcase than Gretchen Peters, and she has mostly herself to thank for it. The lovely, leisurely paced album finds Peters co-producing; singing all the harmonies; and playing many of the instruments, including electric sitar and six-string bass. Peters displays a keen, off hand observational sense - she's a Sheryl Crow worth, well, crowing about - on the likes of Love and Texaco and the sly tale of Eddie's First Wife, who takes up with someone just like the girl who married dear old dad. Even more remarkable, her singing is so winning, she manages to top even Patty Loveless' earlier version of her exquisite Like Water Into Wine. --San Diego Tribune...the genre hardly matters when you have such penetrating material. From the soulfully romantic Like Water Into Wine to the jazzy, provocative Eddie's First Wife, Ms. Peters' musical vignettes explore life's gray areas with honest eloquence. --Dallas Morning News