Shannon McNally

“McNally's sound bears a timelessness that's truly uncommon.. [she] projects tenderness and toughness in ways that are remarkable and unequaled.”
— Jim Caligiuiri, The Austin Chronicle

- The Austin Chronicle

“Her angelic shiver-sending drawl gives the music its hurt, its hate and, most importantly its heart... McNally gives the gift of believability to all she sings.”
— Mike Bell, The Calgary Sun

- The Calgary Sun

“She has the voice: bruised, smoky and ornery, right at home where country and soul meet.. She has the melodies and the timing.. she's irresistible.”
— Jon Pareles, The New York Times
- NY Times

Shannon McNally and Hot Sauce
Coldwater
Independent

Shannon McNally’s songwriting prowess has garnered the attention of a who’s who of recording artists with whom she’s toured or performed, as well as national television appearances and extensive airplay crossing into the folk, country, and adult album alternative (AAA) genres. Her latest effort, Coldwater, comes following her post-Katrina exodus to Northern Mississippi, and the tunes have nomadic undertones reflective of that and other journeys (both emotional and physical) of the singer/songwriter. Take the greatest stylistic and vocal attributes of the softer side of Janis Joplin, Van Morrison, and Loretta Lynn, with the storytelling sensitivities of Tracy Chapman, and that will give you some sense of the musical gumbo that comprises Shannon McNally and Hot Sauce. The collection showcases three covers and five McNally penned tunes and “Lovely” is a highlight of the latter variety, an introspective, reflective rolling ballad of voyages of life and love, those of past experiences and future aspirations. This work is a clear and thoughtful demonstration of the complete artistry that inspires the admiration of McNally’s peers and the loyalty of her fans. –Craig M. Cortello - Where Y'at Magazine

http://www.blogscritics.org/music/article/shannon-mcnally-pours-some-coldwater-into/ - Blogscritics.org

Coldwater Review Offbeat Magazine New Orleans
By Alex Rawls

Coldwater documents where Shannon McNally has been since Katrina—namely, settling down in Mississippi, starting a family and finding a stable band. For the occasion, she recut "Bolder Than Paradise" not because the song needs it, but because the version presents it as an ensemble piece, not a showcase for her voice or Dave Easley's guitar (as it became on North American Ghost Music).On the album, the late Jim Dickinson gave his last performance as her piano player, but he settles into the group sensitive to what the songs require, often intentionally disappearing into the texture of the song.

Not surprisingly, the hill country blues figure prominently here as songs groove on minimal changes, which suits McNally well. The skeletal framework allows her songs to become trances, stories that could come from last week, last year, last decade or last century. They bring to mind early 1970s movies with Rudy Wurlitzer screenplays, where outsiders search for homes and communities they themselves have doubts that they'll find, and nothing underscores that more than Coldwater's first line: "Wrong side of the road / how did I get here this time?" The vagabond theme seems appropriate for McNally, whose muse has taken her around the country. It brought her to New Orleans and took her to Mississippi, and documenting this moment is valuable because it'll likely take her somewhere else before long.
- Offbeat Magazine