The Town Where I Live
Ctrl. Alt. Country
5 Stars ***** One of the most interesting singer-songwriters of the current Americana lot
full review
Deep Roots
A folk singer with a hearty voice, a sure feel for country-flavored blues and given to vivid, detailed portraits of people and places in the manner of Tom Russell, California- based veteran Rick Shea offers a folk-flavored gem. Like all outstanding folk writers, Shea knows the land and its human inhabitants
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Maverick
A fine collection of songs, honest country music fare. Shea is a fine writer and singer, well worth a listen.
full review
Maximum Volume
Shea shows all his gifts for telling wonderful stories, ones rooted in the reality of existence. These stories are brimming with a very special kind of frustration indeed, rather like the best American music has always seemed to. rating 8 out of 10.
full review
OC Patch
The landscape becomes a focal point in many of Shea's songs, heat, dust, wind, vacant lots, boarded-up buildings and torn-up highways create their sense of time and place.
full review
Pasadena Weekly
Movingly sung and performed, the beauty of the tale is in how the veteran artist makes it feel like it’s taken from his own life - or yours. It’s one of the hallmarks of Shea’ssongwriting.
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Penny Black Music
Shea can sing about leaving places we’ve never been to and make us yearn to bethere, leaving the listener wanting more.
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Rambles
Not to be confused with some pop-flavored, faux-rooted "Americana" act Shea traffics in muscular folk music based in American tradition and experience. Devoid of fakery, Shea tells stories you will want to hear.
full review
Real Roots Café
Shea comes up with an excellent Americana CD with an infectious mix of country, rock, folk, bluesy pop
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The Rock Club
Straightforward country, with a hint of pub rock.
full review
Sweet Bernadine
Tres Pescadores 2013
a hauntingly nostalgic vocalist, imperative guitarist and literate, detail-rich songwriter,
do yourself a favor
– Gary von Tersch, Sing Out
a must, not only for anyone seeking a sublime set of songs, but for those whose notion of
Americana has to ring of the real thing.
– Lee Zimmerman, No Depression
Press Quotes for "Sweet Bernardine"
"Sweet Bernardine" Review Page
Shelter Valley Blues
Tres Pescadores 2009
Years from now writers will refer to this as “his career album.” In case I'm not around to do it, I'll just do it here. He's had a long and storied career and worked with music royalty in several genres, this feels like something The Band would have done early in their career.”
– Blll Lavery/Village Records
"Shelter Valley Blues" Review Page
Sawbones
AIM 1999/
Rereleased as "Bound for Trouble"
Tres Pescadores 2006
Shea is to interior California what Joe Ely is to West Texas, two pinches of old Mexico, a blast of exhaust from the boss man's Suburban and a baseline of working stiff desperation…and the best goddamn country voice since Merle hisself. **** Four stars!
– Jackson Griffith/Pulse Magazine
Marvelous…covers the gamut of folk, gospel, blues, country and even some Mexican idioms … each song crafted with distinctive freshness and originality and to top it off, Shea's caramel baritone is as beautifull and resonant as hismulti-string virtuosity is awe-inspiring…**** Four stars!
