“Some Strange Country [is] an incredible blend of instruments, voices and lyrics. Mellow, rhythmic and captivating all at once… It can sound old, but this is modern music at its most impressive and thoughtful.” - National Public Radio
“There is a new richness to the music, evident in the Celtic elements on the banjo-laden bluegrass of “Sometimes in This Country” and the heart-wrenching emotions wrung from both instruments and vocals in “Half of What We Know.” – The Washington Post
“O’Donovan brings gentle, ethereal – but provocatively expressive –vocals to this mix that could qualify as a neo-country concerto, if there were such a thing.” – No Depression
“This new release is every bit as accomplished and engaging as their previous records, and in some ways outshines them. … the band still manages to twist heartstrings while showing impressive musical chops.” -www.popmatters.com
“Crooked Still’s fourth album arrives with a fitting title, for with this release the band has solidified its hold on musical territory
that few if any have tried before… spectacular.” -Music and Musicians
“Crooked Still continue to redefine the parameters of bluegrass and progressive folk with their unique take on the old-time music they love. The tunes on Some Strange Country are mostly traditional, but the band infuses them with a subtle bluegrass virtuosity, chamber music attitude, and solos that often sound like they were borrowed from classical music… Aoife O’Donovan’s voice is the focal point of the album, delivering the songs with the understated virtuosity typical of the best folksingers.” -All Music Guide
“The playing is flawless, humming with an intuitive interactive play and the arrangements have an almost lushly orchestrated feel — but it is, to our ears, the resplendent vocals of Aoife O’Donovan that is Crooked Still’s ace in the hole… Highly recommended.” -www.directcurrent.com
“Aoife O’Donovan’s expressive vocals are but a part of the composite that forms when this quintet purrs along on all cylinders. Joined by bassist Corey DiMario, banjo player Greg Liszt, cellist Tristan Clarridge, and fiddler Brittany Haas, the finger picking and bow-playing layers add depth and balance that makes even the saddest moments full and emotive. To put it bluntly, these people are amazing.” -www.blogcritics.org
“…your expectations of how bluegrass and old-time classics should be performed will be turned on its ear.” – Vintage Guitar Magazine
“These experimental traditionalists live up to their name. They’re still connected to the folk past, yet they are gloriously crooked. And as affecting as whiskey… a triumphant show.” – The Boston Herald
“They take legacy material and, concisely and smartly, play the hell out of it in their own image. You can’t beat that.” – All Music Guide
“Who would think that a barebones blend of fiddle, banjo and cello could create such a compelling sound? [Crooked Still] makes chamber music for the back porch set… Singer Aoife O’Donovan provides seductive, down-home charm… a genuine class act.” – Amplifier
“The songs to which Crooked Still applies itself were made to capture whole countries of experience, fantasy, forgetting, revenge, guilt, and escape…The band takes up the songs as if they contain knowledge far beyond any person who might sing them.” – Interview Magazine
“Go ahead. Feel free to oooh and aaah at what’s coming out of your speakers… [Crooked Still] brings to traditional bluegrass a diversity of talent that is simply spectacular… Familiar tunes are suddenly brand-new, engaging, infused with intensity… ” – Bluegrass Unlimited
“[Crooked Still] may be the most important folk group to emerge from Boston… state-of-the-art musical chops with a deep understanding of American traditional music’s raw melodic grace.” – The Boston Globe
‘The band takes up the songs as if they contain knowledge far beyond any person who might sing them.’ – Interview Magazine
‘O’Donovan. Aoife O’Donovan. Remember that name, because with a sultry voice that makes her sound like a blusier Alison Krauss, she’s about to become the newest darling of the Americana set…’ – USA Today
‘A highly skilled outfit with an ingenious flair for steering traditional music in unexpected directions…rarely have musings about death, misadventure and murder sounded so lovely’ – The Boston Globe
“Crooked Still has emerged from what must have been some heavy internal turmoil with another kick-butt record of old time classics and obscure beauties, performed in their own unique blend of angelic vocals and fiery bluegrass.” – Stuart Mason, Fiddlefreak Folk Music Blog
“The “new” Crooked Still sound is more traditional, in terms of genre, but it is also simultaneously something more than it was, a stellar maturation of previous efforts.” – Cover Lay Down
“In a world where there are many great bands and it’s hard to differentiate one band from another, contemporary bluegrass band Crooked Still stand out.” – World Music Central
“The self-styled, alternative bluegrass group Crooked Still has pretty much made a perfect album; no frills, no fancy studio production, no gimmicks, just great songs and stellar performances that have been recorded with unparalleled intimacy and taste.” – Jonathan Keller, The Marquee
“You may know some of the songs and you’re familiar with all the instruments, but no one has their combination. That, by the way, is the definition of style – when critics or fans have difficulty coming up with comparisons.” – Jim Blum, Folk Alley
“Grounded in bluegrass, a groove based band without a drummer, the Boston based ensemble inhabits the music of American tradition at the same time they take it to unexpected places.” – Kerry Dexter, Music Road
“Part of a new, energetic underground, this crew delivers album three with a zeal that is going to propel them swiftly to the top of the underground.” – Chris Spector, Midwest Record
“Undone in Sorrow, Crooked Still: No one captures the eerie, gorgeous menace of classic Anglo-American folk ballads like this Boston band.” – Ken Barnes, USA Today
“There ’s no wasted energy here, no random notes played, and the only surprise is how beautifully it comes off.” – Grant Alden, No Depression
“Maybe the most cohesive of the Boston dark-folk/bluegrass band’s three excellent albums – chilling and otherworldly, what fantasy writers like to call ‘eldritch.’” – Ken Barnes, USA Today
“This alt-country band impresses big time. While decidedly down home, their original music also proves surprisingly high-toned, refined and varied- chamber twang at its best.” – Philadelphia Daily News
“Elegant and inventively arranged… a shining, sumptuous album.” – The Boston Herald
“Everything sonically illuminated, this record is a truly mesmerizing dispatch… gripping and just plain gorgeous.” – JamBase
“Crooked Still was more than impressive. They were positively stirring.” – The Boston Globe
“Warmed by a robust cello, the inventive arrangements on Still Crooked forgo high and lonesome in favor of deep, dusky yearning, as do the vocals… Recent changes in the band’s lineup have been smooth, widening the quintet’s path of low-key innovation.” – Time Out New York
“Still Crooked is an elegant package of superbly crafted musical styles taking country/folk as the deep foundation and veering off into exciting and exhilarating directions.” – All Music Guide
“Crooked Still’s vision of string band and bluegrass music sounds like nobody else’s… they play their instruments gorgeously, radiating warmth and [a] deep love of the music and songs they play. Aoife O’Donovan has a voice of rare, stunning purity and clarity.” – Sing Out!