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Utterly laid-back piano pop that sucks the tension right out of the room. Efron makes it sound easy but there's a reason so few artists get it right. --East Bay Express Maine expat Rachel Efron combines a light, gentle touch on the piano with the eye and the voice of a poet to make some of the loveliest music one has heard--soft, intimate, ethereal, and strikingly genuine. She's teamed up with some local Bay Area music biz heavies on her first album, "Say Goodbye," which has a more formal, structured, piano jazz sort of feel to it--but there are still places, here and there, where the free-spirit in her lilts and flits and lets loose. Quite a plesant little record she has here. -- San Francisco Examiner
Bay Area pianist and singer/songwriter Rachel Efron has a brand new CD titled, "Say Goodbye." She's a budding presence on the Bay Area music scene and I'm sure you're going to be hearing a lot more from her. On this beautiful debut CD she has steller accompaniment from bassist Jon Evans who produced the album, drummer Scott Amendola, with guest appearances by Julie Wolf, Marika Hughes, Dina MacAbee and others. -- Derk Richardson, KPFA 94.1
There is a sense on this record that the title is the theme; these are therapeutic songs, each a farewell to the moments that inspired them. Efron has released an uncommonly lush, mature debut. With breathy, lilting vocals and a dense backdrop of horns, percussion and her own piano, these 11 tracks are their own universe. Elements of jazz, folk and even Latin percussion are all present. This is a late afternoon, rainy day album. It showcases the talents of producer Jon Evans and the rest of the backing musicians, whose contributions are invaluable. There's a defninite Aimee Mann/Fiona Apple influence here, but lighter and more fun. "Underneath the Moon" is a great pop-jazz groove that has the best hook on the album. The last track, "Solstice," seems uniquely solo, a spare strings arrangement behind the delicate vocals and gorgeous piano melody. "Say Goodbye" is, somewhat ironically, an excellent greetings by San Francisco's Rachel Efron. Give this a listen, preferably when wrapped in a cozy blanket while sipping tea. -- The Owl Mag
...The CD is sweet--not loud, not in your face, but gentle and thoughtful, quietly comfortable. Efron's voice is sweet, too, like a young Sarah McLaughlin (whose earliest work was angelic)... The best song is "What I Know," kick-starting the CD and it really entices the listener into anticipating the next song. "An Afterthought (Melting to You)" is mesmerizing... I loved the gorgeous piano solo and horns in the title track, "Say Goodbye"... "Underneath the Moon" shows off Efron's jazz training, and "Solstice" surprised me with an unexpected crescendo of orchestration... Efron's lyrics were poignant in their quiet force. In one song she sings, "It's easy to trust what can't hurt you"--it struck me as heartbreaking in its context... While there is definately a feeling of change, transition and perhaps some hardships overcome, "Say Goodbye" does not feel like an emo songfest. It is lighter in tone and owns a haunting sweetness that makes this debut tender and worth hearing. -- The Music Scene
Rachel Efron made sure the bases were loaded before finally coming up to the plate. The Oakland-based vocalist-pianist's debut CD "Say Goodbye" features an impressive cast of players, including drummer Scott Amendola (Madeleine Peyroux) and accordionist Julie Wolf (Ani Difranco). -- Oakland Tribune
The following are downloadable press materials. For additional materials please contact press@rachelefron.com. Publicity Images (click to download printable high-resolution jpeg)
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