From PopMatters - Chicago, IL
by Eden Miller

"In the pre-Lilith Fair days, modern rock radio stations gave their fair share of space to such musicians and Juliana Hatfield and Liz Phair, and groups like Belly. Little significance was placed on the fact that these were all women. Instead, the wave of independently minded rock gave them a place to be heard. They were just musicians, first and foremost.

But after Lilith Fair and the Spice Girls, the concept of women in music had changed dramatically, and the interest given to women who played straightforward rock faded, despite the fact their talent never diminished. Their fans continued to pay attention, but few others did.

Gentle Readers' third album, HiHoney will unfortunately go unheard by most, but it joyfully recalls the days when women musicians were simply admired, and no attention was paid to their gender.

Lead singer Susan Fitzsimmons (who also plays guitar and percussion for the band) has a slightly sultry but sweet voice that exudes self-confidence while simultaneously aching with longing. She sings boldly over crunchy guitar riffs and hard-hitting percussion. While it is her voice that carries HiHoney, it barely seems to matter that she's a woman. She's just the lead singer of a band.

From the dreamily taut "Lunchhour" to the vulnerable "Sweetest Taboo," Gentle Readers deal with the conflict in everyday relationships. Witty and fun while still acknowledging the darker moments of life, Gentle Readers have written intelligent and perceptive songs. "Are you telling me there's nothing you can do? This time I'm really asking" Fitzsimmons sighs on "Nothing You Can Do." In "California Pt. 2," she declares "You were never that gifted. I was never that dumb" in a call to a lost lover. Each one of the songs on HiHoney is filled with such insights.

Gentle Reader's HiHoney has a great deal of substance to offer to those who nostalgically remember that brief period when women musicians just got to be who they were and not leaders for a cause. Their blend of folk and rock is surprisingly as refreshing as it would have been few years ago. Music needs more bands like Gentle Readers."

From FLAGPOLE - Athens, GA

The Atlanta-based Gentle Readers' new album is full of well-crafted jangly folk-pop. The uniformly tasteful playing is elegant and modest at the same time. "Center of the Universe" is augmented by beautifully psychedelic Roger McGuinn-style guitar. Susan Fitzsimmons has just the right amount of twang in her voice to personalize these reflective songs and spare them from even more comparisons to Indigo Girls. I found my head bopping along involuntarily to "Difficult," which despite its title, is easy to dive into and wade through its confessions of "growing up"...This tune's bubbly, effervescent groove is driven by Linda Bolley's drumming and Greg Partridge's bouncing bass.

Other highlights include the harmony-laden "California" which is subtle, insightful, and to the point lyrically and musically; plus a countrified cover of Sade's "The Sweetest Taboo." There is obviously a real life experience that we're being let in on here. I would be irresponsible to not mention the guitar work of Lee Cuthbert.

Check this record out; everything is in the right place at the right time. What more could a pop fan ask for?

(Chris McKay - July 12, 2000)

From Creative Loafing, Atlanta - 8/9/00
Atlantis Music Conference Preview

GENTLE READERS (Fri., 10 p.m., Riviera) -- This Decatur-based quartet were one of the highlights of last year's conference. Their easy-going sound recalls the best of '70s New York cool, but with a slice of Southern gothic thrown in to confound and please intelligent listeners. Witty and literate, the Readers can rock with gleeful abandon through pathos-dripping vignettes. Susan Fitzsimmons and Lee Cuthbert keep the Gentle crew rooted in the finest traditions of warm '60s guitar jangle, chilly '70s Manhattan art-school punk, colorful '80s pop smarts and an angular '90s retro bent. With a mix like that, can world domination be far off? (Smith)

From NUVO Newsweekly - Indianapolis, IN
Gentle Readers
hihoney
Flat Earth Records

Susan Fitzsimmons has a hell of a voice. The lead singer of the Bloomington-based Gentle Readers can take almost any song and infuse it with just about any emotion she chooses. Like Michael Stipe in the early days of R.E.M., sometimes it's hard to figure out what she's singing about, but you know from the first line that you're hooked.

The Gentle Readers have recorded two previous albums, but this one surpasses both. Produced by the ubiquitous Paul Mahern, the album's production values are excellent. With a lesser producer, some of these songs might sound muddy or pretentious. But Mahern knows how to bring the best out of each artist he produces.

Let's get back to the R.E.M. comparison for a minute. One of the things that made the band great in the pre Document era was the way in which the band worked together to create an atmosphere and sound rather than a collection of catchy pop tunes. Stipe certainly wrote his share of brilliant pop ("So. Central Rain," "Radio Free Europe") but the band will likely be remembered for its unity and strength of vision.

The Gentle Readers fit into that category. The other band members (Les Cuthbert, guitar; Greg Partridge, bass; and Linda Bolley, drums) play together so well that they're almost an extension of, not merely an accompaniment for, Fitzsimmons' voice.

It would be pointless to single out one or two songs as being better than the rest. Suffice to say that each song is as complex or simple as it needs to be. The lyrics range from moody to exuberant, sometimes within the same syllable. Overall, the Gentle Readers fit the general tendency exhibited by artists on Flat Earth Records: This is thoughtful and intelligent pop music written for adults. And with this album, the Readers have taken a giant step towards becoming a standout band within that already accomplished stable of artists.

Grade: A

SOUTHEAST PERFORMER, July, 2000 (by Reagan Kelly)

"With their low-key album HiHoney, Atlanta's own Gentle Readers show off a kind of languor that, even thugh it may not take you very far, manages to draw you in all the same. There's a sexy kind of confidence that can come from not showing your entire hand, and it's clear that Gentle Readers understand what a little restraint can do. Something is being held back throughout HiHoney; Gentle Readers aren't just handing over all they have to give. Because less is more here, you want to know more, and you listen more.

Literate and witty without getting smartypants about it, Gentle Readers are lyrically past the easy stuff, and their songs address the kinds of situations that make adults out of us when we're not looking. Smart, gemlike verses such as "The summer days are raging/Seconds fly slower than I'm aging/Even the weeds are complaining/You say let the seasons do the changing" are allowed to shine through the spare production. The restraint is welcome.

While not every element of Gentle Readers is as strong as their sense of words, it does add up to something more than its individual parts. That's one of the many charms of this clever foursome, and HiHoney lets you see quite a few more."

Covermag.com (July, 2000)

"...when they hit their stride they seriously trawl the deep water."

Creative Loafing (Atlanta) June 21, 2000

GENTLE READERS -- Coasting on the sweet 'n' breezy vibe of their fine new CD HiHoney, this aptly named veteran Atlanta band is sounding better than ever. In addition to being great vocalists, Susan Fitzsimmons and Lee Cuthbert are also terrific guitar players -- and nowadays they've got a rhythm section to match. The Earl

Creative Loafing (Atlanta) May 24, 2000

LOCAL CD SPOTLIGHT: Gentle Readers and Jennifer Nettles Band
By Lee Smith

Two long-running, female-led but very different Atlanta acts celebrate new releases this week. With HiHoney, Gentle Readers sound like a displaced New York band, making the most of their Southern detour -- like a sedate Velvet Underground, calmly sipping iced-tea on the front porch swing. Rooted in the best of '60s guitar jangle, as chilly as '70s Manhattan art-school punk, blessed with clean '80s pop production, and intelligent with a '90s retro-literary bent; this could be the perfect record for the year 2000.

When singer Susan Fitzsimmons sways into "Lunchhour," a brown bag of images and possibilities, the genteel Readers rock pleasantly. Lee Cuthbert's crisp and languid guitar flows through "Center of the Universe" like a taxi ride through the big city. The Readers cover of Sade's "Sweetest Taboo" gives the song a plucky lead guitar and a Midwestern sensuality. On "Separate," Cuthbert's Wurlitzer adds a veil of spy-movie intrigue to the calm garage-rocker, as Fitzsimmons' vocal is a truly Nuggets-worthy gem. Throughout a strong, smart work, HiHoney is a welcome greeting from a band at the top of their game.

A star on the rise with a significant push behind her, Nettles is in many ways the opposite of the low-key Readers. Aggressive and forceful, Nettles spins some soulful tales on her outing. Backed by most of her old Soul Miner's Daughter band on this solo debut, Nettles wails and wraps her considerable talents around a variety of vocal showcases. Sassy, with an often over-the-top delivery and a gravity-defying range, Nettles feels compelled to please at every turn. She often succeeds, as on the moody and understated title track, buried here mid-album, which the talented singer/songwriter turns into a living opus. That's the Story of Nettles: pure emotion, with a spunky blues snarl. Her rabid following will be pleased, and she'll no doubt gain new converts as well.

Creative Loafing (Atlanta) May 24, 2000

LITTLE RED ROCKET, GENTLE READERS, PAUL MELANON -- Tonight the Readers celebrate the release of their subtle, intriguing new CD HiHoney ( See Earshot online in Vibes) with an unusually strong pair of supporting players. Former Radiant City pop-meister Melanon opens the show, and the hot horn honking Athenian rock ensemble LRR closes it out. (Both of these artists also have excellent new discs of their own.) Dark Horse (Nicoll)

Creative Loafing, May 1999 - Music Menu:

"A lineup that features three rock bands...for the total singing/playing/songwriting package here tonight it's tough to top Atlanta's own Gentle Readers."

From Nuvo Newsweekly, Indianapolis - March 4, 1999

"Do yourself a favor: Go to the Melody Inn on Saturday, March 6 and see the Flat Earth Records band GENTLE READERS. Their album for the label, You in Black and White, is one of the best CD's this writer has heard in quite some time. The band has been compared to SQUEEZE, LET'S ACTIVE and other popsters, but this two-guitars, bass and drums, two gals, two fellas band is something entirely different and special. They're getting airplay all over the nation, people everywhere love them - and it's about time they got some love right here in their backyard."

From Alarm Clock #35:

"Gentle Readers suffer a multitude of Indigo Girls comparisons, only because there are two women with guitars. Actually, they sound more like Pell Mell with vocals or a pop-folk version of Ani DiFranco. The opening song, "Ruthless," grabbed me right away..."

"Gentle Readers contain former and current members of Better Than Ezra and the Vulgar Boatmen, so it's not completely surprising that many of the songs have the same taut structure, if not the richness of the Boatmen (and connected bands like The Setters and Silos). To that they add a bit of downtown New York edge - an almost brittleness, evoking Television and early Talking Heads, that keeps it from becoming too derivative. That and Susan Fitzsimmons' smoky vocals. The gnarled blend of folk and rock is anchored by knotty, abrasive guitars and they display a deft balance between melody and harshness. Interesting, if not essential."

Chart - Canada's New Music Magazine
September, 1998

"In terms of professionalism, songwriting and musicianship, this is the best CD out there. This band needs to be signed immediately."

Steve Craig, Disc Jockey, 99X-Atlanta

"Dramatic but laid back Alt-Pop that weighs in somewhere between the Cowboy Junkies and Anni D. (I guess) Well written, well played, stories well told. "How Low" is a killer pop song that even I can appreciate. Really, truly, this is very, very good; and much cooler than anything that I would ever listen to."

Cake
April, 1998

"Pop songwriting and hooks get you to swaying your hips and mouthing words you don't yet know before you've heard the record twice.....always a good sign.

"The comparisons made to Indigo Girls make me cringe, but never having listened to an Indigo Girls record, I'm not sure why this is. The Feelies comparison really hits home though--it's got the same poppy yet distant feel, the same undertone of something more complicated going on but you're not being buffaloed by fancy production that's really just covering up for something that isn't there.

"Lee Cuthbert's songwriting has come of age, and her "hey pretty good for a girl" guitar playing (which used to blow away more than one 18 year old long haired boyish admirer per show) really rocks. The guitar is featured more prominently in this release than in previously, and the production qualities show more separation between the different instruments and vocals, which eliminates the charming but muddy wall of noise that always made me just a little cool on It's a Sexy Life, Gentle Readers' release #1. They've hit the mark this time."

Miss Diana's House of Chicken
October, 1998

"Possessing a very subduing quality, Atlanta, Georgia's Gentle Readers are led by the strong vocals of guitarist Susan Fitzsimmons, who spent some time in Indiana's Vulgar Boatmen, and guitarist Lee Cuthbert, formerly of the Datura Seeds, along with some additional players. The band blends together a very country-styled pop that's more on the eclectic side of things. Calming songs that re nicely backed by precise drumming akin to the Feelies. Electric pop with some very western style. My definite favorite here is "Good Idea." Not bad at all."

Spank Fanzine
Issue No. 25 (Sept. '98)

"The Atlanta-based Gentle Readers is making its Bloomington debut Saturday. Members include Indianapolis natives Lee Cuthbert (formerly of Datura Seeds) and Susan Fitzsimmons (Vulgar Boatmen). Warranting comparisons to new wavers such as the Talking Heads and Squeeze, the Readers have a wonderful lyrical wit uncommon in today's diluted alternative music scene."

Indiana Daily Student
May 1, 1998

"The band's new album, 'You in Black & White', is actually more akin to the early '80's rock music renaissance. It owes a stylistic debt to the college rock sound of Chapel Hill, N.C., and Athens, Ga., with songs like the lead-off track 'Ruthless' sounding like lost R.E.M. tracks with a female singer."

The Herald-Times
Bloomington, IN
May 1, 1998

"This all-star team has pressed a very listener-friendly album. The late Jodi Grind is the first comparison that came to mind while listening to the 13 tracks This is especially true with regard to song structure

The Readers have forged a distinct pop style, with each song busting at the seems [sic] to veer down the road to folk and bluegrass tones but always turning back before fully committing. Susan Fitzgibbons [sic] has a great vocal delivery that encourages you to keep listening."

Chris Williams, 99XPress
September, 1998

"The Readers display R&B underpinnings and an unflinching female attitude reminiscent of Liz Phair."

Daily Journal, Indianapolis, Indiana
July 30, 1998

"If this is the state of Southern Rock, we'll soon forget about .38 Special, Split Beaver, and all the other misbegotten corporate ventures into southern whitetrash world. GR's LP, "It's a Sexy Life," (Spanking Crane) is intelligent stuff worthy of Talking Heads, VU status. But here, the story is told from that quirky, humidity-drowned Deep South perspective, with no shortage of tongues in cheeks."

Austin Chronicle
March 15, 1996

"Their first disc, 'It's a Sexy Life,' is Mary Chapin Carpenter-meets-the Pretenders rock 'n' roll with bright harmonies and tunes that attach themselves to your memory. The Readers love a good guitar riff, which they make jangle."

Indianapolis Star
March, 1996