2/19/2010:
"Inside a cold and shadowy Philadelphia house, two men are hovering over the body of Sue Mansour, lead singer of the band Soraia. One is panicked while the other is holding her lifeless body as tears stream off his face dripping onto her cold lifeless skin as a needle, which provided a potent shot of cocaine to her right arm, lies next to her motionless body. There was no pulse, no physical reaction and it appeared for all intents and purposes that she was in an everlasting catatonic state. As Sue Mansour recollects the story to me she states quite austerely, "I was dead". No one could have imagined that in the not too distant future, her band Soraia would be performing before 23,000 fans at Milwaukee's Summerfest opening for Bon Jovi...."
For full article, click this link: http://www.antimusic.com/reviews/10/Soraia-_The_Road_Not_Taken.shtml
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"...It's unlikely you'll hear any album in the next year whose rock and soul architecture sounds this fresh...."
"....Soraia are not hopping on any bandwagons, they merely check vintage classic rock riffs and find a way to swathe them into a package that is intoxicating and enthralling. There is a profound depth to the lyrics which are enhanced by the layered roars of guitars that make you yearn for a time where albums and artists ruled the landscape....."
"....As Mansour belts out the title track, her voice crows with an immediate and defiant pulse which is nothing short of pulverizing. Her vocal styling's are a throwback to the past but what's integral is that she is well aware of the rich tradition of singers who have come before her as she reaches back further than just one decade but five decades to the inner workings of Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin and Wilson Pickett before recording her dynamic, soulful and mesmerizing vocals...."
"What makes this record so profound is the raw intensity of the soulful lyrics which put you right in the emotional thick of the action. While it connects American musical traditions, it's sonically and implausibly fresh. Producer Obie O'Brien's instinctive, enlivening and revitalizing production does the material justice and significantly brightens the album to A-grade levels, but always keeping the vibe organic and elegiac....As impressive as the sonic framework may be, the real star is Mansour's cooing vocals paired with the elliptical lyrics which combined make 'Shed The Skin' a harrowing, endearing and essential album." Album Grade: A-
-Anthony Kuzminski, Chicago-based writer/reviewer for 'The Screen Door'
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"Shed the Skin"...it's a gutsy rocker seeping in attitude and low-slung guitar swagger. It's 70's rock feel...think Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix....Sue's voice brings back memories of the golden greats, like early Tina Turner and Janis Joplin...that soulful, powerful quality...."
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"....'What to Expect' (when seeing Soraia's live show): Some pretty crazy energy....it's nothing short of magic...."
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"Soraia is a musical addiction from the very first listen....Soraia's work is fresh and new....It kisses you on the mouth before it bites your lip. Soraia is energy and youth and power and desire....and leaves you wanting more and more...."
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"Dirty rock and roll at its dirtiest.... Lead singer Sue is so expressive, so involved, and so damn sexy, that Soraia is impossible to ignore...."
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"I don't have a nationally read music blog, but after a couple of listens, I share Kuzminski's enthusiasm for this record. So does veteran 93.3 WMMR DJ Pierre Robert, who raved on the air about Mansour's musical passion after hosting Soraia's CD release party at Philly's Club Risque last fall.
This is a band that puts an intoxicating modern spin on its late-'60s hard rock influences, a band that does things its way, consequences be damned. (Not every group would be willing to play a CD release show alongside pole dancers)...."
--Andy Vineburg, Bucks County Courier Times
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"Rock music in general took a very introspective, s...
Rock music in general took a very introspective, serious-minded turn with the Nirvana/Pearl Jam/grunge upheaval of the early '90s -- and while showmanship didn't disappear from the rock world altogether after alternative became rock's primary direction, it is safe to say that many alterna-rockers of the '90s and 2000s simply don't identify with the circus-like atmosphere that countless rockers favored in the '70s and '80s. But there are exceptions to that generalization, certainly: alterna-rockers who have the dark, downtuned guitars of a post-grunge world yet still have some of the hooks, melody, and showmanship of '70s and '80s rock; alterna-rockers who realize that being an entertainer and being an artist are not mutually exclusive. New York's Morningwood and L.A.'s Powder are perfect examples, as are Philadelphia's Soraia -- who show considerable promise on their debut album, Dirty Like Soraia. That title is appropriate because Soraia do have a dirty, grungy, hard-hitting approach, but they also have a melodic, hooky approach -- and the Philadelphians draw on a healthy variety of direct or indirect influences ranging from Nirvana and L7 to the Pretenders to Concrete Blonde, Sonic Youth, and Hüsker Dü. Clearly, grunge and post-grunge have greatly affected Soraia's appealing sound, but pre-'90s metal, hard rock, punk, and new wave are an important part of the picture as well. The band has a powerhouse of a lead singer in Sue Francia, whose big, take-charge vocals are a major asset on loud and forceful yet melodic offerings such as "Cap Gun," "Jaguar Shark," "Need," and the bluesy "Breakdown." By CD standards, Dirty Like Soraia isn't terribly generous; the disc lasts just under 28 minutes. But 27 to 28 minutes of excellence are preferable to 70 or 75 minutes of mediocrity, and excellence is definitely what prevails on Soraia's first album...."
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"...Opening band Soraia, a relatively new band out of Philly, breathed hard Southern rock fire into its 25-minute set. Guitarist Dave Justo lassoed thick lines of muscle around lead singer Sue Mansour's Joplin-esque wail. Soraia mustered a decent response out of the crowd as people filed into the Marcus Amphitheater, but it deserved more. Here's to seeing them back again in Wisconsin soon...."-Katjusa Cisar
http://host.madison.com/77square/article_84c7272d-8aa0-58b4-a918-85eacc897d87.html
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