In an effort to keep bringing you the music lover and fan the very best in music reviews I decided after many inquiries to add an Americana Music section. You will find roots music, bluegrass and newgrass, alt. country, roots rock, roots country and many more make up the category, so you may see reviews both here and the country category. Be sure to browse all the review categories here that you think you may be interested in, the total review category listings can be seen at my site map, or click the button marked "Reviews" on the left hand side of this or any page. 

If you have a site that is related to Americana music and you would like to be featured on my Americana music pages, all I require is a reciprocal link from your website to the main Americana page here at Rikks Revues. Please feel free to email me with any requests for link trades using the simple Contact form I will review each site on a site by site basis. If your website is deemed suitable, please contact me and I will send you via email the code for either a text or banner link, your choice. So enjoy your review of  Ann-Marita, then head back to your Americana Music Reviews and start again. 

To get to the Ann-Marita website, click their CD cover. Music clips or to buy the Ann-Marita CD, links follow the review

Ann-Marita is on her way to be more than just a "Face In The Crowd"! 

Ann Marita - Self Titled CD

Review by Rikks Revues writer *Teresa Liao*

Whoo! Traditional country she is not but this woman has it. Ann-Marita in her self-titled debut album is climbing the charts and she is going all the way. This striking Norwegian started her musical career like so many country artists, with her daddy's old country albums. Well daddy's little girl left the little Norwegian farming town to study in Sweden. Yes, Sweden. This country rocker worked on her chops with vocal coach John Kinkade, then went on a two-year cruise to perform with the ship band. She later found herself in California. There a L.A. based company gave her a 2-year contract. A year later, they left with her money and she was left without an album. Ann-Marita is currently in Melbourne, Australia where she finished production of her debut.

This singer/songwriter is not a Southern belle but she's got the look and the twang. She doesn't sing about cowboy hats, rodeos, or bars. Instead, Ann-Marita takes a more personal approach to country, singing about heartache, regrets, and living life. From the catchy country-pop about the "Class of '93" to the more haunting "Face in the Crowd" about love gone bad to the sultry "Sounds Good to Me", Ann-Marita can do it all. Her singing will definitely make you take note and listen.

This nine-track album does enough to show off her talents and make first-time listeners into fans. With this kind of start, Ann-Marita should have a long career in country music. All she needs to do is to keep doing what she's doing, keep fine-tuning her vocals (not that they need much fine-tuning) and extending her range. As for her songwriting skills, she's honest and reflective. Ann Marita's got both the passion to face obstacles head on and the humor to laugh at life's blunders. That Los Angeles production company, the one that took her money and blew her off, is going to cry into the mixing board when she blows up.

(4.5 Stars out of 6 )