Live Reviews:
"Hudson almost always plays with a band behind her and for that reason might not be the first person you would think would be a good solo acoustic performer. But she was tremendous. She’s an elegant tunesmith and evocative lyricist who often uses an aphoristic, vintage C&W vernacular without sounding hokey or derivative, and she’s grown into an excellent, subtly nuanced singer. Some of her songs were funny, like "Nicotine", her irresistibly amusing ode to the death-defying lure of tobacco. Others, like "I Thought I'd Die", with its litany of near-misses, had the matter-of-fact resoluteness that runs through much of her songwriting."  —New York Music Daily
For the full review: https://newyorkmusicdaily.wordpress.com/tag/karen-hudson/

"Back in my neck of the woods I ambled over to The Old North Branch Inn where The Karen Hudson River Band debut its new album "Sonic Bloom." Hudson entertained a large, enthusiastic crowd...Hudson's original, autobiographical songs were heartfelt combinations of bluegrass, country and rock. The band (Steve Antonakos, Tom Curiano and Skip Ward) was hot, joined by local hero Darren Wiseman on harmonica, and I had a blast."  —Jonathan Fox, The River Reporter

On "Sonic Bloom":
"Lucinda meets Gram with a driving beat, jangly guitars and pedal steel. Love lost, love found and all the real life in-betweens. This is Karen Hudson's Sonic Bloom in all its Americana beauty!" —Joltin Joe, The Mad Scientist-Radio Nowhere WMSC 90.3 FM Montclair, NJ

 

"Hudson has been compared to many other women singers, but the name that resonates with me is Linda Ronstadt, with the proviso that we’re talking pre-Peter Asher, albums like Silk Purse, which Lester Bangs found to be “brimming with passion and vulnerability, tremulous, yet possessed of a core of absolute strength,” words that can easily be applied to Hudson. An important difference is that Hudson writes her own songs . . .  Mama Was A Train Wreck (“Daddy was a train”) is a standout in a consistently strong set." —3rd Coast Music, Austin, TX.

". . . especially with Roscoe's in your face mix, Sonic Bloom is an apt title because while on some songs she sings softer and sweeter, it's the ones with the harder edge that grab me." —No Depression
For the full review: http://tinyurl.com/karenhudsonnodepression

"With her edgy wit, elegant stage presence and a great band behind her, songwriter Karen Hudson has been
a mainstay of the New York Americana scene since the early zeros...Hudson’s matter-of-fact vocals carry the lyrics with
passion, soul, and rich dynamics, from an insistent wail to a warm, caressing timbre: she’s never sung better." —New York Music Daily
For the full review:http://newyorkmusicdaily.wordpress.com/2013/06/13/karenhudson/

"Hudson writes without judgement and without the bitterness of hindsight, she just presents the story as it happened. It is as fitting to compare her writing to John Steinbeck’s books as it is to Woody Guthrie’s or Bobbie Gentry’s lyrics because there is a depth and understanding in Karen’s words that transcend the song." —Allen Foster, Songwriter Monthly
For the full review: http://www.scribd.com/doc/162910419/Karen-Hudson-Sonic-Bloom

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They liked “Hudson River View”:
“I like it! My kids like it!” –Robbie Fulks, musician

“Hudson River View, the latest disc from Karen Hudson is simply her best recording to date... with songs in a vain similar to Linda Ronstadt’s work with The Stone Pony’s...Hudson’s honey dipped vocals can be both frisky and heartbreaking...but the highlight here is the stunning “Hudson River Blue” one of the best songs I’ve ever heard. Hudson nails this one with her exquisite singing while draining the heartbreak and emotion the song deserves. Rounding out the disc are the tracks “Lovesick Blues” and “Honky Tonk Merry Go Round”. Be sure to keep listening for the bonus hidden track, Nicotine. This one comes highly recommended.”
           —Bob Silvestri, Best of Western New York

“...she celebrates the release of her new self-released EP, Hudson River View, which offers five sweet ways to look at your breaking, broken, or completely destroyed heart situation.”       
          —Time Out NY

“...Fans of Tift Merritt, Kelly Willis, Sheryl Crow and, yeah, Gretchen Wilson should check this out. Hudson gets extra props for the cd’s pristine, old-school production— all hers.”
               —Trifectagram (Alan Young)

“...more the honky-tonk than the wallflower kind, though she convinces more doing her own late-Rosanne Cash-style numbers...”
             —The Village Voice

“Karen Hudson leads a fantastic band of players as she gigs around New York. Her songs are full of twang and emotion blending country, rock, pop and folk inspired by singers Patsy Cline, Roy Orbison, Linda Ronstadt and the song craft of Nick Lowe and Lucinda Williams.”
           —Good Music NY

“Hudson River Blue” turns out to be my favorite...and the lyrics...with a wink at Tammy Wynette: “It’s hard to be your woman and my own person too.” “Lovesick Blues,” one of Hank Williams’ best known songs, is almost unrecognizable the way Karen skillfully makes that old song swing...”
           —Johanna Bodde, InsurgentCountry.com

“Hudson’s acoustic alternative/country craft is clearly influenced by Lucinda Williams, Hank Williams, and 1970’s Linda Ronstadt, conveying confidence, heartbreak and sass in one fell swoop.
          —Washington Heights/Inwood Report

Karen Hudson, singer-songwriter from NYC has the kind of smoky heartbreaking voice that will make every man at Americanarma forget his own name. Her songs are simply written .... stunningly delivered with “been-there, done that” wisdom.”
          —Buffalo Art Voice