rebekah pulley

Anyone who’s still tempted to think of Rebekah Pulley as the perennial solo-acoustic loner with the quiver full of unadorned, hesitant, somewhat mournful tunes--and that crowd includes this reviewer--needs to catch up, and put that association to rest for good. It’s an image that’s, what, two albums out of date, and in any case, Tralala’s fully-fleshed sounds position the buzzy St. Pete singer-songwriter as a bandleader with confidence and vision as well as a killer voice.

Pulley’s mesmerizing vocals will always evoke a somewhat melancholy state of mind. But Tralala’s vibrant tour of the Americana map doesn’t pin its identity solely on the conjurings of her singing, giving equal time to both her songwriting and the abilities of multi-instrumentalist Rob Pastore and the rest of the band (not to mention a stable of gifted friends) as well. The result is catchy, assured and enjoyable. From the piano-led, Jackson Browne-reminiscent opener “Sweet Life,” through the taut vibe of “Totem” and horn accents of “Fall & Burn” to the Texas swing of “Paint The Town” and rollicking, stripped-down feel of “The Terrible Tea Song,” Tralala showcases a group working together and having fun in the service of the tunes, for the tunes’ sake. Its completeness and execution alone would qualify Tralala as one of the best local releases of the past four or five years; that the songs themselves generally more than live up to the talents of the players, as well as Pulley’s singular voice, doesn’t hurt a bit, either. - Articulate, Scott Harrell

Anyone who’s still tempted to think of Rebekah Pulley as the perennial solo-acoustic loner with the quiver full of unadorned, hesitant, somewhat mournful tunes--and that crowd includes this reviewer--needs to catch up, and put that association to rest for good. It’s an image that’s, what, two albums out of date, and in any case, Tralala’s fully-fleshed sounds position the buzzy St. Pete singer-songwriter as a bandleader with confidence and vision as well as a killer voice.

Pulley’s mesmerizing vocals will always evoke a somewhat melancholy state of mind. But Tralala’s vibrant tour of the Americana map doesn’t pin its identity solely on the conjurings of her singing, giving equal time to both her songwriting and the abilities of multi-instrumentalist Rob Pastore and the rest of the band (not to mention a stable of gifted friends) as well. The result is catchy, assured and enjoyable. From the piano-led, Jackson Browne-reminiscent opener “Sweet Life,” through the taut vibe of “Totem” and horn accents of “Fall & Burn” to the Texas swing of “Paint The Town” and rollicking, stripped-down feel of “The Terrible Tea Song,” Tralala showcases a group working together and having fun in the service of the tunes, for the tunes’ sake. Its completeness and execution alone would qualify Tralala as one of the best local releases of the past four or five years; that the songs themselves generally more than live up to the talents of the players, as well as Pulley’s singular voice, doesn’t hurt a bit, either. - Articulate, Scott Harrell

There’s something so effortless about Rebekah Pulley’s songwriting, whether she’s waxing poetic on “Sweet Life,” her raw, honeyed-silk vocals harmonizing with the lower-register murmur of partner/frequent collaborator Rob Pastore against rambling, piano-driven violin-kissed melodies; crooning soulfully about wanting love and drugs to a doo-wop shuffle in “The Drug Song”; or relating a wry story in strung-together spoken-sung verses about a woman seeking salvation and finding a lot of “Hard Times” instead, the strains of sliding pedal steel and acoustic guitar winding together gently and riding an easy chugging rhythm. All three tracks are off the latest full-length from Rebekah Pulley & the Reluctant Prophets, Tralala, which finds Pulley returning to her folk-rock and Americana-rooted aesthetic, and bringing on a full complement of musician friends to build a more instrumentally lush backdrop than 2008’s well-regarded Back to Boogaloo, among them, trumpeter Jim Morey, trombone player David Russell, violin-playing songstress Rebecca Zapen, Ryan Arsenault on organ, and Pastore on bass and pedal steel. Tralala was meticulously and impeccably produced with help from Steve Connelly at Zen Recording and at Pulley’s home studio, and proves to be yet another stunning addition to Pulley’s already strong catalog. The album sees its official release this Saturday. (Critics’ Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars). - Creative Loafing, Leilani Polk, Music Critic

REBEHAH PULLEY & THE RELUCTANT PROPHETS
• BACK TO BOOGALOO •
****
(Lucky Bird)

Thanks to Ronny Elliott, I know that The Twist came from Tampa, FL, and I'm pretty certain that it's thanks to the Americana pioneer that I now know there's at least one other seriously talented musician in The Big Guava. It's all too easy to patronize coverage in local papers—how much do they have to work with?—but you can see why the Tampa/St Pete media are all over Pulley. They don't have to cut her any hometown slack, her folk-rock album would be outstanding wherever it came from. Pulley has a wonderful voice, but I have a stack of CDs that I know I'll never get to by women with wonderful voices, some of whom have songs just as good as Pulley's 13 stream of consciousness originals, and if she has terrific musicians, particularly Ryan Arsenault piano/B3 and Sandi Grecco drums, any flake in Austin can hire first rate musos. What makes this album so special is Pulley and guitarist Steve Connelly's quite extraordinarily intelligent and musically astute production that maximizes all its ingredients. Thousands of decisions, some really major, most individually quite minor, go into making an album and it's asking a lot for anyone to get all of them right, in fact the producer of the last album I reviewed by a Floridabased female singer-songwriter got virtually everything wrong, but if Pulley and Connelly zigged when they should have zagged, it must have been on a positively microscopic level. Immensely enjoyable, and a master class in DIY. - John Conquest, 3rd Coast Music
- 3rd Coast Music, John Conquest

REBEHAH PULLEY & THE RELUCTANT PROPHETS
• BACK TO BOOGALOO •
****
(Lucky Bird)

Thanks to Ronny Elliott, I know that The Twist came from Tampa, FL, and I'm pretty certain that it's thanks to the Americana pioneer that I now know there's at least one other seriously talented musician in The Big Guava. It's all too easy to patronize coverage in local papers—how much do they have to work with?—but you can see why the Tampa/St Pete media are all over Pulley. They don't have to cut her any hometown slack, her folk-rock album would be outstanding wherever it came from. Pulley has a wonderful voice, but I have a stack of CDs that I know I'll never get to by women with wonderful voices, some of whom have songs just as good as Pulley's 13 stream of consciousness originals, and if she has terrific musicians, particularly Ryan Arsenault piano/B3 and Sandi Grecco drums, any flake in Austin can hire first rate musos. What makes this album so special is Pulley and guitarist Steve Connelly's quite extraordinarily intelligent and musically astute production that maximizes all its ingredients. Thousands of decisions, some really major, most individually quite minor, go into making an album and it's asking a lot for anyone to get all of them right, in fact the producer of the last album I reviewed by a Floridabased female singer-songwriter got virtually everything wrong, but if Pulley and Connelly zigged when they should have zagged, it must have been on a positively microscopic level. Immensely enjoyable, and a master class in DIY. - John Conquest, 3rd Coast Music
- 3rd Coast Music, John Conquest

"The local singer-songwriter has one of those voices that sears into your brain and finds emotional trigger points you never knew existed (or at least were hiding). She's pretty intense, she's also pretty good." - Sean Daly, The St. Petersburg Times - St Petersburg Times [ Aug 2008]

"The local singer-songwriter has one of those voices that sears into your brain and finds emotional trigger points you never knew existed (or at least were hiding). She's pretty intense, she's also pretty good." - Sean Daly, The St. Petersburg Times - St Petersburg Times [ Aug 2008]

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER
Rebekah Pulley

She captured the local original-music scene's attention a couple years ago, and has admirably held it since, remaining one of the most loved, cited and talked-about artists in the area. And she's only gotten better, widening her stylistic palette in both grittier and mellower directions, while maintaining one of the most evocative voices around. Whether solo or with her fine band The Reluctant Prophets, she's a standout act on any bill, be it rock-, folk-, pop-, or jam-oriented. She should be famous, but first, can we get another album of intimate yet universal tunes, please? www.rebekahpulley.com. - Creative Loafing

BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER
Rebekah Pulley

She captured the local original-music scene's attention a couple years ago, and has admirably held it since, remaining one of the most loved, cited and talked-about artists in the area. And she's only gotten better, widening her stylistic palette in both grittier and mellower directions, while maintaining one of the most evocative voices around. Whether solo or with her fine band The Reluctant Prophets, she's a standout act on any bill, be it rock-, folk-, pop-, or jam-oriented. She should be famous, but first, can we get another album of intimate yet universal tunes, please? www.rebekahpulley.com. - Creative Loafing

BEST ACOUSTIC ACT
Rebekah Pulley

Singer/songwriter Rebekah Pulley is not, repeat not, a folkie. Sure, she can hold a coffeehouse crowd transfixed, and her occasionally socio politically tinged lyrics at times recall a certain old-school grassroots sensibility. Her songs, however, showcase an enviable knack for both dynamic structure and subtle texturing of mood, and her warbling, captivating voice is all white soul and compelling pop melody. Shit, she's good. Last winter's A Brand New Day adequately introduced a songwriter with an amazingly mature grasp of the craft but didn't quite do her powerful vocals justice; live, her singing is both technically spot-on and emotionally devastating. It can drop your jaw and break your heart. Pulley's local profile has risen steadily over the last six months, and in certain Pinellas circles, anticipation of her next disc, titled Here in the Real World (expected around the New Year), is already high. And deservedly so — even at first listen, you'd literally have to be deaf not to recognize her prodigious talent. - Creative Loafing

BEST ACOUSTIC ACT
Rebekah Pulley

Singer/songwriter Rebekah Pulley is not, repeat not, a folkie. Sure, she can hold a coffeehouse crowd transfixed, and her occasionally socio politically tinged lyrics at times recall a certain old-school grassroots sensibility. Her songs, however, showcase an enviable knack for both dynamic structure and subtle texturing of mood, and her warbling, captivating voice is all white soul and compelling pop melody. Shit, she's good. Last winter's A Brand New Day adequately introduced a songwriter with an amazingly mature grasp of the craft but didn't quite do her powerful vocals justice; live, her singing is both technically spot-on and emotionally devastating. It can drop your jaw and break your heart. Pulley's local profile has risen steadily over the last six months, and in certain Pinellas circles, anticipation of her next disc, titled Here in the Real World (expected around the New Year), is already high. And deservedly so — even at first listen, you'd literally have to be deaf not to recognize her prodigious talent. - Creative Loafing

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER
Rebekah Pulley

Rebekah Pulley was voted as Best Singer/Songwriter in the Tampa Bay area by the reader's of Creative Loafing this year. - Creative Loafing

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER
Rebekah Pulley

Rebekah Pulley was voted as Best Singer/Songwriter in the Tampa Bay area by the reader's of Creative Loafing this year. - Creative Loafing

Year in review: 2003
Pop: An arresting year
By GINA VIVINETTO
Published December 25, 2003

BEST LOCAL ALBUM: Rebekah Pulley, The Real World. A sultry, rootsy Americana disc that could go head-to-head with any of the above-mentioned albums. Fans go gaga over Pulley's gorgeous voice, but she wrongly gets compared to "folkies" and Lilith Fair ladies, and not the acoustic greats who are more her speed: Cash, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell. - The St Petersburg Times

Year in review: 2003
Pop: An arresting year
By GINA VIVINETTO
Published December 25, 2003

BEST LOCAL ALBUM: Rebekah Pulley, The Real World. A sultry, rootsy Americana disc that could go head-to-head with any of the above-mentioned albums. Fans go gaga over Pulley's gorgeous voice, but she wrongly gets compared to "folkies" and Lilith Fair ladies, and not the acoustic greats who are more her speed: Cash, Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell. - The St Petersburg Times

Songs of Southern Zen From Pen and Paper to the Electric Den

Rebekah Pulley's 2006 release - 'Songs of Southern Zen From Pen and Paper to the Electric Den' - was the 4th most played recording for 2006 and the 6th most played for 2007 on Tampa Bay's WMNF 88.5 community Radio. - WMNF 88.5 FM Tampa, Florida

Songs of Southern Zen From Pen and Paper to the Electric Den

Rebekah Pulley's 2006 release - 'Songs of Southern Zen From Pen and Paper to the Electric Den' - was the 4th most played recording for 2006 and the 6th most played for 2007 on Tampa Bay's WMNF 88.5 community Radio. - WMNF 88.5 FM Tampa, Florida

REBEHAH PULLEY & THE RELUCTANT PROPHETS
• BACK TO BOOGALOO •
"One of the most graceful records of the past several years. Pulley’s got a perfectly sinuous, utterly personal singing style and, especially when working with Steve Connelly on electric guitar, dobro and B3, a sense of rhythm that is utterly bluesy without ever being overstated. Her duet with Ronny Elliott on “Tumbleweed” is the highlight but these 13 songs are outstanding through and through." - Dave MArsh, rock and Rap Confidential - Dave Marsh, Rock & Rap Confidential

St. Pete singer/songwriter Rebekah Pulley has been penning fine tunes and releasing solid records for some time now, but none quite touch the smart, catchy, folk-rock excellence of this latest full-length, Back to Boogaloo. The melodies are breezy, but the lyrics never swoon into cliché. The singer's voice is assured and full, but also vulnerable at times. Pulley's ace backing band, The Reluctant Prophets, along with co-producer/multi-instrumentalist Steve Connelly, augment her acoustic guitar creations with spot-on backing, ranging from Dobro to synth. The likes of Sheryl Crow should blush at a collection of songs this inspiring and entertaining. 4 stars - Wade Tatangelo, Creative Loafing
- Creative Loafing Sept 10, 2008

“Rebekah Pulley is a Florida treasure, the most talented artist among us, whose appeal ranges from folkies to alternative types. With this CD, it’s time for the world to discover her special gifts…. the impossibly sweet voice, perceptive and penetrating songwriting, and tasty band and arrangements.” Randy Wynne, PD, WMNF - Randy Wynne, PD, WMNF [2008 July]