Press
Read what the critics are saying about Greg's CD “Little Palaces.” Check out the Quick Quotes and then scroll down to read the full reviews.
Quick Quotes
Performing Songwriter magazine: “With an ethereal voice and an approach to crafting pop nuggets that often recalls Michael Penn or Matthew Sweet, Greg Annussek proves himself to be a viable contender in the race for the title of next-big-thing adult songsmith."
Shredding Paper magazine: “Annussek sleekly takes parts of pop, western, and electrics, and mixes it into a non-acoustic version of the singer-songwriter tradition…It's nice to see the tradition stretched in directions beyond its standard confines…"
Aiding & Abetting online: “A first rate trip through modern pop…the simple truth of the disc is that there isn't a bad song on it. Pure joy."
All Music Guide: "Greg Annussek is equally at home penning a guitar-driven rocker, an alternative country tune, or a pop-folk ballad."
Impact Press magazine: “Most of the songs have a bit of pep and the jangly, Americana pop style of music really grabs you…It's Annussek's ability to sound so passionate and heartfelt about his music that is most impressive about this ten-song release."
Splendid E-Zine: “This self-released CD presents Annussek's ideas with clarity….he certainly writes nice songs."
Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck: “I actually found the entire package offered on this album mesmerizing. The singer’s approach fit the tempo of each song quite nicely. I was pleased to hear gentle and soft moments and harder more rocking elements come into play…"
Indie-Connections.com: “Annussek is a talented songwriter who knows how to write commercial material that will sound as good ten years from now as it does today. ‘Young Again’ is a well-crafted work of art that proves our point."
MusicDish.com: “This project should be ranked among the quality alt-country folk rock albums out there today."
Backroads Radio: “It's great pop with a roots rock edge."
Gods of Music.com: “As dreamily melodious as Elliot Smith, as questioningly soothing as the better U2 material, and as memorable as the more conventional (i.e., non-screaming) Pixies-bits…"
MP3Junkies.com: “Almost soul-based songs with plenty of rhythm and great composition. Quite obviously Lennon/Beatles influenced with some great guitar lines."
AudioGalaxy.com: “Well done Power Pop that maintains a sense of integrity with its sharp sense of melody and pleasing hooks."
Listen.com: “As with your favorite tuna, power-popster Annussek serves it up chunky and light. Guitars crash and fall in a congenial manner as vocal harmonies hold your head up with reassuring softness."
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Full CD Reviews
Performing Songwriter magazine
Volume 9, Issue 57, November 2001
Reviewer: William Tyler
With an ethereal voice and an approach to crafting pop nuggets that often recalls Michael Penn or Matthew Sweet, Greg Annussek proves himself to be a viable contender in the race for the title of next-big-thing adult songsmith. Annussek utilizes airy harmonies and sugary sweet minor-to-major chord progressions that are certainly reminiscent of many other pop mavericks, but he brings his own voice to the proceedings. Numbers like “Long Way Down” have a bittersweet feel recalling Ron Sexsmith, and the sensitive production of Ernest Adzentoivich, who adds lush string arrangements, also helps set this album apart from many other melancholy forays.
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Shredding Paper magazine
Issue #11, October 2001
Reviewer: Robert Barry Francos
Annussek sleekly takes parts of pop, western, and electrics, and mixes it into a non-acoustic version of the singer-songwriter tradition. Backed most notably by Scott Aldrich's rockin' (and occasional slide) guitar, Annussek gets to concentrate on the songs/vocals. It's nice to see the tradition stretched in directions beyond its standard confines by a male (seems women have been ahead of the game, doing it for a while). The vocals are smoky, occasionally breathy, and the topics focused largely on relationships and personal studies, without the syrupiness that is inherent in the topic.
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Aiding & Abetting
Issue #220, August 13, 2001
Reviewer: Jon Worley
Toe-tappingly tuneful alt. pop, infused with the throbbing bass power of alt. country (I know, few folks choose to steal that particular Uncle Tupelo innovation, but Annussek is smart enough to latch on dizzily). Basically, these songs are irresistible.
And the reason is that Annussek is smart enough to make each one its own piece. He's got a great ear for the hook, but he has enough of a sense of craft to put together each honeyed chorus in a slightly different way. No two riffs are exactly alike, and so each song is a fresh discovery.
Sometimes pretty and sometimes powerful (and often both), Annussek's songs are aided by some sharp playing and singing. His band has a great feel for these pieces, and while Annussek doesn't have the world's greatest voice, the pieces use his vocal flaws to color the songs even more.
A first rate trip through modern pop. Annussek does bring to mind pop masters past and present, but he's got his own thoroughly current vision. That's pretty good, but the simple truth of the disc is that there isn't a bad song on it. Pure joy.
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All Music Guide
[Retrieved 10/5/2008]
Drawing from a wide range of influences such as Elvis Costello, Wilco, Matthew Sweet, Hole, the Velvet Underground, and Sheryl Crow, New York-based musician/singer/songwriter Greg Annussek is equally at home penning a guitar-driven rocker, an alternative country tune, or a pop-folk ballad...2001 saw the release of Annussek's solo debut, Little Palaces, which comprised ten alternative rock/pop originals, with a heavy emphasis on melodic, sing along choruses.
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Impact Press (magazine and website)
Issue No. 46: August-September 2003
Reviewer: Chris Maxwell
Annussek has great vocals that speak right to you. Most of the songs have a bit of pep and the jangly, Americana pop style of music really grabs you. There's more country twang than I'd prefer, but his New York City perspective is an interesting aspect to his songwriting. It's Annussek's ability to sound so passionate and heartfelt about his music that is most impressive about this ten-song release.
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Splendid E-Zine
August 30, 2003
Reviewer: Christian Carey
Singer/Songwriter Annussek crafts ten breezy and concise songs on Little Palaces. Clocking in at just under half an hour, this self-released CD presents Annussek's ideas with clarity. The occasionally spare production and casually-delivered vocals lack a bit of pizzazz in places, but that's certainly preferable to overlong, overblown compositions.
While he certainly writes nice songs, Annussek is not the most charismatic frontman I've heard. His voice has a nice quality to it, especially in crooning, softer passages, but occasionally could use a bit more variety of approach. His accompanying musicians are uniformly solid; I particularly enjoyed the imaginative lines played by bassist Ernest Adzentoivich.
Tunes like "Long Way Down" and "Sunday Again" have pleasing hooks that come across well. Marianne Morrison's violin lends an alt-country atmosphere to "Didn't You Know?", and "He Should Love Her" seems a bit countrified as well. Much of the rest of the material eschews that style and presents itself as straight-ahead pop. Perhaps a bit too much of it is on the slower to mid-tempo side, especially for such a short effort. However, if Annussek continues to develop both his songs and his performances, giving them a bit more oomph, he might have something truly special next time around.
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Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
July 1, 2003
Little Palaces are all around us if we care to look. They are in a the eyes of a true friend, a wife or husband’s loving embrace, a child’s priceless smile, and inside the heart of the music we listen to on a daily basis, if we care to pay attention. In a mixed up world brimming with negativity it can be hard to let everything roll off your back. Then there are artists like Greg Annussek that make everything okay with his music and sense of humane honesty.
Listen to these words from “Long Way Down”: Would you be safer in my hands?/You hate to think that I understand /What you try so hard to explain/You can fill me in on the parts I missed/Before you gave yourself the slip /And we all kept our ears close to the ground.
Those are stimulating and pensive lyrics to say the least. Annussek has a voice similar to that of Lou Reed, as his delivery is subtle yet poignant while his sing/talk vocal style gives more emphasis to every word. The lyrics did not pull me away so much that I did not recognize the great music though. I actually found the entire package offered on this album mesmerizing. The singer’s approach fit the tempo of each song quite nicely. I was pleased to hear gentle and soft moments and harder more rocking elements come into play on this album. If variety is the spice of life then this CD screams spicy hot.
I must also give my respect to the string arrangements so beautifully produced by Ernest Adzentoivich, whom also plays bass and adds percussion to the recording. The strings add a dimension to rock music that offers a richer and more meaningful ‘push’ into the listener’s consciousness. The song that seemed different from all the others was “Mr. Meyers.” It is loaded with pop hooks and sounds; it has TV show or movie soundtrack written all over it. When you look at the entire presentation here, it speaks of variety and professionalism in every facet from production to sound and musicianship.
If you really listen, as you are capable of, you will notice something different every time you hear this music, I did. Now it is your turn to see for yourself, go ahead…try it you will like it.
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Indie-Connections.com
January 2002
Annussek is a talented songwriter who knows how to write commercial material that will sound as good ten years from now as it does today. "Young Again" is a well-crafted work of art that proves our point.
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MusicDish.com
December 12, 2001
Reviewer: Liz Norris
"Little Palaces" echoes yet expands on the sounds of Greg Annussek's former ensemble. This NYC based non-fiction writer and former member of the Philadelphia-based band, Peter Sellers' Girlfriend, embarks on a hardy solo career, furnishing a nice collection of roots influenced singer songwriter tunes with radio friendly hooks. The audio quality might benefit from some tweaking, as the album was recorded in just two days. But the album's atmosphere captures the listener, as each song seems to relay enough personality of its subjects, whom you feel as if you've gotten to know by the end of the record. Having been influenced by Elvis Costello and The Stones, more contemporary influences emerge such as Jay Farrar and Jacob Dylan, and Tom Petty particularly in "You Bow Down". This project should be ranked among the quality alt-country folk rock albums out there today.
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Backroads Radio (Dynamicaster.com)
July 2001
Reviewer: Brian Ball
Catchy guitar with great lead and harmony vocals make the guitar pop of Greg Annussek very alluring. This singer-songwriter from New York City pulls from many influences to sing a great collection of songs with varying styles. It's great pop with a roots rock edge.
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GodsOfMusic.com (overall rating: 8.5 out of 10)
February 28, 2001
Reviewer: Gary Arthur Brown
As dreamily melodious as Elliot Smith, as questioningly soothing as the better U2 material, and as memorable as the more conventional (i.e., non-screaming) Pixies-bits, “Young Again” takes you on a 2:12 adventure through the uncharted reaches of Pop for the New Millenium.
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MP3Junkies.com
January 2001
Almost soul-based songs with plenty of rhythm and great composition. Quite obviously Lennon/Beatles influenced with some great guitar lines.
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AudioGalaxy.com
January 2001
Well done Power Pop that maintains a sense of integrity with its sharp sense of melody and pleasing hooks.
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Listen.com
February 2001
Reviewer: Jon Pruett
As with your favorite tuna, power-popster Annussek serves it up chunky and light. Guitars crash and fall in a congenial manner as vocal harmonies hold your head up with reassuring softness.