“Vocalist Barbara Gracewood includes some quite eclectic material on her new album, Coming Up For Air. Some of the unlikely musical bedfellows include Hank Williams, Cat Stevens, Journey and Gwen Stefani. The one factor all these songs have in common, however, is they are all showcases for Gracewood’s pretty, pure and vulnerable singing voice.”
– Dan MacIntosh
“With her new album, Coming Up For Air, Barbara Gracewood has started the transition away from performing strictly covers by contributing writing credits to her resume with the addition of her original songs that stand up to the well-known classics she has covered.”
– Justin Kreitzer
“Improvements have been made in the overall package of Barbara Gracewood’s sophomore album Coming up for Air. Once again she has surrounded herself with stellar District of Columbia musicians and takes more vocal chances with success, but the Virginia songstress has also branched out into songwriting. Teaming with professional songwriter Todd Wright, who composed half of the album, Gracewood, producer Jim Ebert and guitarist Harold Kemp penned “Without You”.”
– Kelly O’Neil
“…Gracewood is clearly the star of the show, and she sounds confident and in control throughout. She opens and closes the album with the pair of songs she had a hand in writing –“Better,” a billowy midtempo waltz marked by incisive lyrics (“If I’m still behind this door, I won’t be waiting for you/Sometimes an opening just isn’t worth going through”), and “Without You,” a pop-country tune whose melody is like a slowed-down variation of the Elvis Presley hit “Suspicious Minds.” That track happens to be gorgeously arranged, with music-box guitar arpeggios and swelling strings lushly filling out the sonic space.”
– Ken Bays
“Based in Northern Virginia, Barbara Gracewood releases a sophomore album of originals and covers. Steeped in ballads and pop songs reconstructed with Barbara’s own personal style of musicianship, Coming Up For Air is a breath-taking journey into the heart, soul, and vocal chords of one of the most likable voices in contemporary music.”
– Matthew Forss
“Barbara Gracewood delivers a wide range of songs in a style that’s a little bit country, a little bit jazz and a lot of soft rock. Her voice has a good range of moods and modes, from soft and sultry to soulful and rocking.”
– G. W. Hill
“Gracewood more than proves her worth, placing the spotlight squarely on her gorgeous, silky-smooth voice and distinct phrasing on these unique interpretations of classic hits that truly showcase her originality despite not writing the songs herself.”
– Justin Kreitzer
“For an album compiled of familiar tracks that were originally written by a number of other artists, Barbara
Gracewood has entwined a surprising amount of her own interpretations and spins into each of these tracks. This
happens to be Gracewood’s very first album, and while offering her own take, though, she still manages to hold
onto the original value and mood of each song. “Make You Feel My Love,” for instance, is a song that was originally written by Bob Dylan but was made popular through Adele’s version of the track. The soft contributions of the electric guitar and the piano do well to bring out the full passion of the track, while Gracewood’s wispy, soulful vocals tie everything together into one thriving substance.”
– Alec Cunningham
“The self-titled release from Barbara Gracewood begins with the track “Cold Cold Heart”. Having already been one of Hank Williams’ best-loved songs when he released it, the track had one life as a Country and Western classic. When Barbara Gracewood and her band took hold of the song, the track took on a totally different feel as the ensemble created a track that feels more like something that Tony Bennett would sing than something from a Country star. The lyrics to the song still contain a certain amount of sadness to them as Barbara Gracewood gives them the emotional feeling they deserve.”
-Matheson Kamin