Reviews

  • November 7, 2014 - Review: The Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) - "The Singles: In My Mind" by Voices in Your Head
    Excerpt: "...this track also features a solo performance by Brianne Holland that gives Sia a run for her money!..." "And the Charlie Chaplin feature on Life of the Mind is a perfect enhancement to an already impressively composed and performed work - perhaps my favorite all time quote in an a cappella song."
  • January 29, 2014 - Review: Sara B Fans - "Islands" by The Vocal Company
    Excerpt: "Gorgeous! The production choices were really effective and all of the vocals were just beautiful. There was a really steady crescendo through the whole piece that really pulled me in... Super clean harmonies. A great lead vocalist. Nice production value... worthy of the win!"
  • June 4, 2013 - Review: The Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) - "Late Nights, Parades" by Men in Drag
    Excerpt: "The original song Something in the Water (lyrics by Markie Gray and music by Brianne Holland) fits with the rest of the rock songs on this album, such as the solid, grooving My Body. The arrangement for On the Wing is outstanding. Speaking of arranging, the album as a whole benefits from the consistent arranging voice of Brianne Holland (who arranged all the tracks here except Never Forget You); all ten of these songs sound cohesive, and that goes a long way towards making Late Nights, Parades feel like an album, rather than just a mixtape of favorite songs."
  • March 20, 2013 - Review: The Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA) - "Late Nights, Parades" by Men in Drag
    Excerpt: "From the first measure of the opening track of this highly polished CD, to the moment when the last notes fade away, Men in Drag, an all-female group from the University of Chicago, make it crystal clear that they came to play... Starting off with the face-melting original tune, 'Something In the Water' (lyrics by Markie Gray, music by Brianne Holland), one wonders where there is to go from here. Turns out, lots of places... Awesome. Following this might be a tall order, but no worries. Originally performed by Warrant, 'Cherry Pie' is fun and bouncy, but still with a no-nonsense, rock and roll vibe. I couldn’t avoid bouncing in my chair while this one was playing. Brianne Holland’s solo is compelling and irresistible."
  • October 30, 2012 - Review: The Chicago Maroon - Logan Center for the Arts cabaret series
    Excerpt: "Singer Bri Holland, a fourth-year music major, was a tough act to follow. Not only did she demonstrate a vast vocal range, but she has the talent to know how to use it. Elements of pop and jazz to folk and blues blended rather seamlessly in her covers of “Dance So Good” by Wakey!Wakey! and “Other Side of the World” by KT Tunstall. Yet it was in her two original songs—“Gold” and “Weightless”—that her insightful poeticism, as inviting as it is imaginative, was revealed. “It’s a mad moment when you don’t feel a thing,” Holland sang in “Gold,” which explores how jarring heartbreak shatters dreams of the future. The listener eagerly follows her stream-of-consciousness lyrics, wondering where she will end up, anticipating more of Holland’s powerful voice."

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