Austin and Elliott: Press

The first time I heard Austin and Elliott’s song, “Hard Not to Fall in Love,” off of their EP, Truth That Hurts, I knew I had come across something spectacular. It’s a brilliant song, written by Chris Elliott, and delivered emotionally by Elliott and Lisa Austin. In a world where love songs can often be cliché or too gooey, Austin and Elliott went creatively beyond that and created a perfect love song.

In this performance, the finger-picked guitar riff by Elliott is quite impressive and fills the role of most of the instrumentalism. There is some subtle slide guitar work during the bridge of the song, performed by the producer of this tune, Lorne Entress. The only other ingredients are the great vocals of Austin and Elliott. Elliott sings most of the tune, but Austin sings along on the bridge and in the hooks.

This intimate approach isn’t the only reason this tune works. The lyrics are a great. My favorite verse is, “It's hard not to watch the water shine. Everybody stares at the things that make them blind. And you're so bright from afar. Not to fall in love with you is hard. It's hard.”

The song appears to be about a couple trying not to fall in love, because their geographical departure from one another is eminent. Elliott sings, “It's hard not to hold on and believe, as fortune on the rail carries you away from me. Letting go is the hardest part.” Austin and Elliott again sing together, “And not to fall in love with you is hard. It's hard.”

Austin and Elliott's, “Hard Not to Fall in Love,” off their CD, Truth That Hurts, is a fantastic love song. If you’re a fan of well-crafted, folky songs with great lyrics and an intimate delivery, this song will be your absolute favorite.

Lisa Austin and Chris Elliott couldn't be more suited for one another musically and their new 5-song sampler quantifies that statement. Both possess excellent singing voices and when they're combined, there's few duos that can touch them. On Truth That Hurts, Austin and Elliott have also made a bold move to enlist producer Lorne Entress to oversee the production while hiring guitarist Duke Levine and bassist Paul Kochanski to beef up the instrumentation. The result is an engaging five songs lush with musicality and poetic prose. The song "Liza Jane" could easily be nominated as "Song of the Year" at the next Boston Music Awards show with its superb lyrics and mesmerizing musical accompaniment.

Just two voices and an acoustic guitar, but the songs are impressive, particularly the mythic folk ballad "Blackwater Dam," which has a timeless quality difficult to achieve.

Review of 13 Songs Plus

Here we get great value with no less than 21 tracks on the album from Boston-based duo Austin & Elliott. Lisa and Chris perform widely on the circuit, giving audiences a chance to hear their original work, and this album will extend this pleasure to a much wider audience.

There are no lush strings or complicated arrangements on offer here. These are songwriters with a love of words expressing emotions - personal or otherwise - to the pure accompaniment of guitar.

"When I Go" is a case in point. It has a spare accompaniment, but even that could be superfluous when the listener gives attention to the harmony of these voices and the strong lyrics. The magic continues on tracks like "O Death," with its haunting theme and delivery. It could be a rendition of a song written centuries ago. The guitar takes off at a stronger pace on "Caroline," an old-style story-song that is well worth a close listen.

Tracks with titles like "Still Water," "Truth That Hurts" and "Started with a Needle" give you an idea of the beautiful, laidback style of this wonderful duo, but show how to tackle all sorts of subjects with quiet determination and thoughtful lyrics. This is a fine collection of original material well written and thoughtfully performed.

Review of Truth That Hurts

This five-song EP from Massachusetts-based singer/songwriter duo hits all the right chords with beautifully crafted tales of introspection and woe. Nicely harmonized vocals, reminiscent of Aimee Mann, compliment immaculately produced instrumentals. Featuring accomplished local musicians such as Duke Levine, these five songs come fully realized and are sure to please.