Reviews for Jenny Whiteley

Leading off with a sensitive and beautiful version of the Bryants' Raining in My Heart, Jenny Whiteley presents her latest, a collection otherwise completely original and extremely well matrixed by Steve Dawson, who pushes her voice way up front where it should be, then creates a three-dimensional backdrop of spare and unhurried embroidering (himself playing God only knows how many instruments in

Vancouver's Black Hen label is home to a stable of rootsy singer/songwriters who tend, on the surface, toward the unassuming, but whose albums reveal treasures on repeated listens. Jenny Whiteley, former vocalist of the bluegrass group Heartbreak Hill, is a prime example of this understated aesthetic.

Love relationships boil down to what we can tolerate. How much is too much? The balance between the good days and bad. That arc is captured in the songs of Jenny Whiteley’s, ‘Forgive or Forget’. The title acts as a bookend with love encased between its borders.

Amazingly professional and accessible stuff. Canada's Jenny Whiteley has been a successful artist in her home country ever since she released her debut album way back in 2000. Success in the United States has eluded her thus far in her career...but it certainly isn't for a lack of good solid songs. On Forgive and Forget Jenny writes about the ups and downs of love that occur over time.

Jenny Whiteley has been knocking down Juno awards in Canada with nearly every outing. That doesn't always turn heads south of the 49th parallel, but in this case it ought to. If Whiteley were living closer to Austin than Toronto, she'd be a big star by now.

Some music seems to require a certain kind of weather to work its magic. Jenny Whiteley’s latest, Forgive Or Forget, probably wouldn’t be an ideal choice for a sunny day at the beach – there’s a pervasive air of wistful melancholy about the project that’s ideally suited to a rainy day, one given to reflection and rumination.

Jenny Whiteley (pronounced “White-lee”) had me from the first syllable she uttered on her new album release, Forgive Or Forget. She possesses one of those voices which just reaches out, grabs your attention, and holds you mesmerized. The clarity and pure tonal quality are things which cannot be taught but are just god given.

Forgive or Forget , the latest release from Jenny Whiteley, features nine original new songs, plus a cover of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant’s “Raining in My Heart” originally recorded by Buddy Holly, that sound not so much written as torn from the cloth of hard won experience.

Two-time Juno Award-winner for Roots Album of the Year, Ontario-based songwriter Jenny Whiteley's latest is but her fourth effort since 2001. With each subsequent album, Whiteley has evolved from the vignettes of common folk caught up in life's challenge comprising her self-titled debut.

If her name is new to you, rest assured that Whiteley is a two-time Juno Award winner (Canada's grammy), and with her fourth release, she should gain well-deserved US recognition, too. She sings of both the uplift and heartbreak of relationships. Somehow, even the sadder songs resonate lively as her clear, melodic voice seamlessly glides over the music.

Forgive or Forget, Jenny Whiteley’s fourth solo album – she started her career as one of the lead singers in Heartbreak Hill, a bluegrass band – is a quiet, subtle record filled with songs that examine love and relationships from a variety of angles.

Forgive or Forget is Whiteley’s 4th release in nine years, and is a relaxing, easy-on-the-ears folk rock album, led by her smooth vocals, gently rambling acoustic guitar with light percussion, keyboards, mandolin, etc. accompanying.

Jenny Whiteley (pronounced “White-lee”) is a roots music practitioner who has spent the past four years putting together the emotional tug of war that is Forgive and Forget. Beginning with a cover of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant’s “Raining In My Heart,” once recorded by Buddy Holly, Forgive and Forget has that rainy day quality that demands one sit back and let the songs wash over you.

Jenny Whiteley (pronounced “White-lee”) is a roots music practitioner who has spent the past four years putting together the emotional tug of war that is Forgive and Forget. Beginning with a cover of Felice and Boudleaux Bryant’s “Raining In My Heart,” once recorded by Buddy Holly, Forgive and Forget has that rainy day quality that demands one sit back and let the songs wash over you.

Jenny is the daughter of Canadian folk-country/blues/jazz musician Chris Whiteley (not to be confused with the late Texas bluesman Chris Whitely). Her first and second albums picked up Best Roots & Traditional Album Junos (the Canadian equivalent to the Grammy).

Jenny Whiteley has one of the sweetest voices in Canadian alt-country and she’s got two Juno awards to prove it. Steve Dawson is one of the best practitioners of guitar in the land. The Vancouver-based session man is also one of the respected roots/Americana producers on the continent (which explains why U.S. performers like Kelly Joe Phelps keep coming north to record).

How would you answer the question “What kind of music do you like?” Maybe a list of favorites, or a single genre label that mostly describes your taste? One common answer is “I like anything but country.” Jenny Whiteley's recent release Forgive Or Forget is a great retort to that unfortunate declaration. She sings ten of her own beautiful folk and country songs without a snag.

Try playing a Jenny Whiteley CD when doing something else -- reading the paper, preparing your tax return. It's surprising how much of the music you'll absorb even while focused on other things. More than just good melodies and lyrics, both Whiteley hallmarks, it's also her understated delivery that, paradoxically, awakens a response whether or not you're actively listening.

When it comes to recording, Juno Award-winner Jenny Whiteley still believes in the sum of all parts

The second time I call Jenny Whiteley's house, I get my interview. The first time I was told that she had forgotten about our scheduled chat and had gone snowmobiling.

Jenny Whiteley’s experienced a lot of heartbreak lately.

But don’t feel badly for her. It’s not like the singer/songwriter’s marriage to hubby Joey Wright is on the rocks or she’s been caught texting Tiger Woods, but because it’s one of her favourite subjects to write about.

Jenny Whiteley has another winner with this collection of hurtin’ songs. The two-time Juno winner sets the pace with the opening track, Raining in My Heart, that was initially done by Buddy Holly 50 years ago. The other nine originals are up to the same standard, varying between alt-country and traditional country, and all about the pitfalls of love.

One of the most charming and honest interviews I have ever had, Jenny Whiteley's music reflects both those qualities.

Whiteley's voice is a jem, sweet and smooth and a perfect fit for her roots, country and blues compilations. Forgive or Forget is a great album to listen to at any volume, and will certainly tailor to any company that you might have over.

Ontario’s Jenny Whiteley isn’t afraid to take risks while evoking emotional connections through her music.

A two-time Juno Award-winner for Roots Album of the Year, Whiteley patiently crafts albums with the assistance of producer Steve Dawson and top-drawer session instrumentalists.

Jenny Whiteley turns to an old Felice and Boudleaux Bryant song to set the appropriate tone for her new album. With Raining in My Heart, a posthumous hit for Buddy Holly, she tells us in her gentle voice and its acoustic setting that it may be beautiful all around her, but it's raining you-know-where.

I’m always frustrated when a record is finished before I’ve drained my coffee; I rarely feel like I know a musician from a scant forty of music. Jenny Whiteley’s latest album serves as reminder that quality is worth more than quantity.

A beguiling, compact program. Jenny opens with “Raining in My Heart,” originally recorded by Buddy Holly, and follows with nine originals. Her songs have a vintage C&W feeling you can’t find much these days. I especially like the two Tim O’Brien adds harmonies to – “Final Season” and “Ripple Effect.” Jenny’s voice is a warm embrace.

I really love intelligent lyrics and Jenny Whiteley’s poetry and word-smithing is superb on her new album, Forgive and Forget. Whiteley teams up with world-renowned Canadian producer Steve Dawson, who can turn almost any song into ear candy. His production genius makes a potent elixir of great performances and smooth sounds from start to finish.

It's rare to come across a roots artist as ripe for crossover as Ontario folksinger Jenny Whiteley. While largely working within bluegrass, her sound encompasses a diverse array of musical touchstones, including jazz, pop and country.

As singers go, somewhere between the smooth sophistication of Sarah McLachlan and the majestic authenticity of Eilen Jewell you'll find Jenny Whiteley.

The songs on Whiteley's fourth solo album, produced by Vancouver's Steve Dawson and the beneficiary of his impeccable taste and his superb skills with any number of stringed instruments, bespeak a somber melancholy that would not have been out of place on jukeboxes in the American Southwest in the 1950s, when country music was real.

It's been four years since two-time Juno award winner Jenny Whiteley released Dear, but her overdue fourth release has finally arrived.

If you are looking for some great Canadian music, pick up Juno winner Jenny Whiteley’s new cd, dear. She combines fabulous vocals and beautiful lyrics. Even if you’ve never been into folk, once you hear Jenny Whiteley, your opinion will change. She brings other talented songwriters and musicians to join in her fun - including duets with Joey Wright and Joe Brynes.

A self-described late bloomer, Jenny Whiteley didn't decide to dedicate her life to music until she was 24. That she eventually chose art over a steady paycheck wasn't, however, overly shocking.

Jenny Whiteley has been one of the great success stories on the Canadian folk scene in recent years. Her self-titled debut album released in 2000, won the Juno Award – the Junos are the Canadian Version of the Grammys – for best roots/traditional album by a solo artist. So did Hopetown, her second album from 2004.

"Dear, the third solo album from acclaimed Juno-award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Jenny Whiteley, is a joy to listen to from beginning to end.

The follow-up to the Juno Award-winning Hopetown (2004), Whiteley returns with a dozen tracks that offer more of the same strong songs. Backed once again by an accomplished cast of characters such as Amy Millan, Dan Whiteley and Chris Whiteley, Dear continues Whiteley’s roots revelations.

Oh, Canada. How excellent you are at producing worthy, intelligent female singer-songwriters. Jenny Whiteley is another in a long line of Canuck-born musicians that lay their heart on wax for all to see, and do so without pomp and circumstance. There are no layers of sticky, gooey honey that have to be removed from Dear and there is no sap to be found.

"She was once known as Chris Whiteley's daughter and Ken's niece, but that was before she won a best roots album Juno for Hopetown in 2004. Now Jenny Whiteley is her own woman, though with the family gift for melody and a writer's sharp eye.

“Yet another excellent Steve Dawson production, this time in the service of one of the mighty musical Whiteleys of Ontario, Jenny. And this being a Whiteley project you can be sure family isn’t far behind, with brother Dan sitting in on many of the songs and husband Joey Wright on the rest.

“On the strength of her soul-stirring vocals and heartfelt lyrics the Juno Award winning singer songwriter has emerged as an amazing talent with something unique to contribute to to the folk music tradition in this country. … a stunning collection of haunting folk and country songs that has “next big thing” written all over it.”
The Echo (Guelph, Kitchener, Waterloo)