impressive album, rich in variety
Strong blues from England (pigeon google translation,see swedish review below, realistic translation w/be most appreciated)
Zoë Schwarz Blue Commotion is ranked as one of the premier blues bands in England. Now it's up to a new album.
The band's fourth album since its...
Read more of Dala-demokraten Cutlure Magazine, Sweden, Album Review, May 2017
top of the British Blues scene
Formed in 2012, Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion have hit a stride over the past few years, releasing four studio albums, including their recent This is the Life I Choose, and climbing a musical ladder that has taken them to the top of the British Blues scene. Zoe Schwarz releases her dusky...
Read more of The Alternate Roots Magazine, USA, Album review, May 2017
so fine you just want to follow her around the world
If it weren’t for ‘60s Brits like Brian Jones, John Mayall, Peter Green, Eric Clapton and Alvin Lee, it definitely would’ve taken my teenaged Jersey soul much longer to discover American blues. So here I sit at 66 hearing how the Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion takes that history and...
Read more of Aquarian USA, Album Review, This Is The Life I Choose
This Is The Life I Choose is a breath of fresh air in an often suffocating and repetitive music business and it is, once again, an artistic statement on the high level of quality and originality that the British music is living right now.
Too often, in nowadays music world, artists feel like they have to adhere to certain standards, because they know or they think to know what fans are expecting from them, musically speaking. That philosophy generates frequently very monotone albums, with the same musical structure running...
Read more of Bluebird Reviews, International Blues Music Blog, Album Review, April 2017
I have reviewed Zoe Schwarz before so when I saw her CD arrive for potential review, I was quite excited at the prospect of hearing more from her. This British band borrows and (I mean this in the most complimentary way) steals a lot of American stylings in their compositions; yet retains...
Read more of Sound Waves Magazine USA, Volume 27, Issue 4, Album Review, April 2017
11 brilliant original songs and two exceptional bonus tracks, further propels the uniquely talented Schwarz towards the pinnacle of her musical career.
Never has a title been more apt than This Is The Life I Choose for what is Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion’s fourth studio album since 2012. On top of two other live recordings and a relentless touring schedule, this amounts to an unprecedented dedication to playing the blues. However, it is...
Read more of Blues Matters, 'This Is The Life I Choose' Album Review, Issue 95, April/May 2017
In this hour special Pete Feenstra chats to Zoe Schwarz and Rob Koral and features tracks from their latest album - 'This Is The Life I Choose' - released in March 2017. The two musicians had worked together for a decade before forming Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion in...
Read more of The Pete Feenstra Feature for Get Ready To Rock Radio - Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion (2 April 2017)
This Is The Life I Choose Says Zoe Schwarz Latest Album
With three studio albums under Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion’s belt the fourth is definitely not running out of steam, it is full throttle blues. The blues are stylish, a mix of pathos and humour, reflections and looking forward, sadness and hints of joy.
With hundreds of gigs notched...
Read more of Bluesdoodles.com, 10/10 Album Review, March 2017
Blues In Britain, one of the four picks of the month by the IBBA (UK's Independent Blues Broadcasters Association) presenters.
Read more of IBBA Presenters April 2017 Pick of the month.
Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion is a British band with a powerhouse vocalist, electrifying guitarist, amazing Hammond organist, and rock-steady drummer. Get the album. You will be impressed.
Another glowing review from Making A Scene writer Rhetta Akamatsu:
Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion is a British band with a powerhouse vocalist, electrifying guitarist, amazing Hammond oiganist,, and rock-steady drummer. Their new album, "This Is The Life I Choose," proves them to be...
Read more of American Music Blog - MAKING A SCENE, 'This Is The Life I Choose' album review, March 2017
A truly superb band and this album shows off all their strengths – I really can’t spot any weaknesses to be honest.
Something about this band that really hits a spot. Guitar, Hammond and drums plus soulful and jazzy vocals and a bunch of well written and punchy songs. What is not to like?
This is their 4th studio album and you can hear the chemistry of the band in every passage, playing to each...
Read more of International Music News at MUSIC-NEWS.COM, 'This Is The Life I Choose' album review, March 2017
From the way she attacks the opening note of ‘Hold On’, to a sultry Nina Simone style finish on ‘Feeling Good’, Zoe Schwarz dominates a diverse album rooted in the blues but not bound by it.
Indeed, ‘This Is The Life I Choose’ is brimming with a sense of adventure and sundry possibilities that gives vocalist Zoe Schwarz the kind of breadth she needs to bring her interpretive abilities to bear on some wide ranging material.
And in an age when the blues genre is swamped...
Read more of 'Get Ready To Rock' magazine, **** Pretty damn fine! 'This Is The Life I Choose' Album Reivew.
Het Verenigd Koninkrijk is maar een paar uurtjes van ons kleine landje vandaan en toch horen we met regelmaat het geklaag dat we altijd maar diezelfde bands moeten aanzien. Niet kennen? Deze Zoë Schwarz heeft de laatste vijf jaar telkens een album op de markt gebracht en is dut alvast geen...
Read more of Rootsville, Belgium Music Magazine, 'This Is The Life I Choose' album review, March 2017
LOTS OF POWER ALL THE WAY
RIKTIGT STARK HELA VÄGEN
Fjärde plattan från detta brittiska bluesfenomen är en riktig kram av varmt sväng, tighta musiker och en vokalist som imponerar rakt igenom. Influerade av bland annat Cream, Etta James, Led Zeppelin, Billie Holiday, John Scofield och många fler serveras...
Read more of UngTro Sweedish Music Blog, 'This Is The Life I Choose' album review, March 2017
Es gibt Alben, die einen schon beim ersten Hören verblüfft innehalten lassen. Mit "This Is The Life I Choose" haben Zoe Schwarz Blue Commotion eine Scheibe veröffentlicht, die sich von Song zu Song immer mehr entfaltet und eine Bandbreite zwischen Blues, Jazz, Soul und Rock vor dem Hörer...
Read more of Wasser-Prawda 'Musik und Meer - Kulturmagazin', 'This Is The Life I Choose' Album Review March 2017