“Carper’s enigmatic voice sounds familiar and alien all at once, making Ramblin’ Soul a truly original set of songs.”

— Rolling Stone

Rollings Stone's Country & Americana top 25!

"...steeped in throwback styles that range from honky-tonk and countrypolitan to blues and Western swing. Carper’s songwriting and sense of humor keep things feeling fresh."

— Rolling Stone

“She’s as good as it gets. She has a quality that really transcends time and fashion.”

— Chris Scruggs

“The contemporary queen of Western Swing.”

— American Songwriter

"These 42 minutes fly by so quickly with a vivacious and vigorous life-affirming heart that the music demands another spin."

"...her finest release yet."

— American Songwriter

“With a chameleon-like ability to shift from country to blues to jazz to western swing, Melissa Carper writes simple, profound songs with a distinctly vintage sound palette.”

— GRAMMY.com

“Whether she's writing humor, chronicling heartbreak, relating personal experience or celebrating the joy of life, Carper's power as a songwriter comes from her ability to be whatever you want her to be.”

— GRAMMY.com

“Renowned guitarist Chris Scruggs, who appears on the album, has been known to refer to Carper as “HillBillie Holiday,” and it’s easy to understand why when you hear the distinct jazz influences on tunes rooted in country and folk music. Carper’s heavily twangy vocal tone is different from Billie Holiday’s, but it’s similarly distinctive, and very much a signature of her sound.”

— Austin American-Statesman

“...a declaration of independence drawn straight from the artist’s soul...Carper is the epitome of the free spirit – ramblin’ in whatever direction her muse andher inclinations conspire to take her.”

— Country Queer

“Ramblin’ Soul is a beautiful stroll through the history of Americana, sung and played by a true mistress of the form. It rings with a bell of authenticity that’ll make your heart sing.”

— Country Queer

“Carper is hands-down one of the best in the trad music game.”

— The Boot

“Ramblin’ Soul showcases Carper’s canny songwriting, her effervescent vocals, and her ability to convey the range of human emotion in short, catchy songs. Her vibes echo classic sounds, and her hooks and melodies will grab you from the first note.”

— Folk Alley

“...an exquisite work of audio goodness that mesmerizes with its wayback sound and style, stealing you to a simpler era in music when everything made more sense, and the very foundations of American music were set.”

— Saving Country Music

“Carper has found her true voice and place in the music world, and with a sound many country and roots music fans are thirsty for.”

— Saving Country Music

“Ramblin’ Soul replicates the effortless cool from Daddy’s Country Gold. Carper’s relentless creativity spins our grandparents’ music into something immediate and familiar.”

— No Depression

“She’s an old soul with a voice made for mid-20th-century radio and a penchant for throwback folk, jazz, blues, and Western swing. Some artists sound inspired by the past; Carper sounds like the past has come to life.”

— Bandcamp Daily

“Carper has the conceptual chops to command almost any part of the Americana audience she desires, and Ramblin’ Soul finds her getting down to business and further honing her already substantial skills.”

“…a songwriter’s record made by a superb bandleader.”

“The sheer breadth of Carper’s songwriting is impressive.”

“… a tour de force of post-Western swing singing that allows her to lay back or surge forward as the groove dictates.”

— The Nashville Scene

“...her music wrangles sounds of a different era – country jazz, honky-tonk, and a bluesy soul unfurling with the thick twang of her vocals... Most spectacular though is the emotional twinge that wrings from the soulful shuffle of songs like ‘Ain’t Day Goes By’.”

— Austin Chronicle (Doug Freeman)

“Ramblin’ Soul showcases Carper’s canny songwriting, her effervescent vocals, and her ability to convey the range of human emotion in short, catchy songs. Her vibes echo classic sounds, and her hooks and melodies will grab you from the first note.”

— Folk Alley

“Ah, yes, that old feel. It’s what makes Carper’s music such a joy.”

— Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

“Hot damn, Melissa Carper has done it again.”

— The Arkansas Times

“Carper’s voice acts as an enveloping history lesson in American music, pulling from all the greats of bygone eras to create a vibe that’s as comforting as it is fresh.”

— Glide Magazine

“Melissa Carper taps the soul of old country music.”

“...an Ozark Billie Holiday.”

— WMOT

“It ain’t old, it ain’t retro, it’s just real.”

— Country Music People

“...there isn’t an undeveloped or thoughtless tune on the entire body of work...a technically sound, creatively distinctive album that authentically encompasses Carper’s eclectic foundation and Americana as a whole.”

— The Amp