Kim Ware and the Good Graces

“There’s no shortage of female-fronted indie pop bands bringing good music and witty lyrics, but American singer-songwriter and drummer-turned-guitarist Kim Ware (The Good Graces) plays in the champions league of this category. ... A wonderful album.”

“‘Homely’ is a record of songs that have been gently and carefully stripped down to their emotional core. A tremendous record of heart and honest to goodness compassion for the common good.”

“After a lockdown-inspired move to her home state of North Carolina, Homely finds Ware stripping things down from her jangle rock-inspired folk with her band the Good Graces to plainspoken songwriting and an acoustic guitar. Ware’s earthy voice pair well with her songs of yearning.”

“In my opinion, the originals are all more interesting than the cover of Some Guys Have All the Luck (written by Jeff Fortgang, popularized by The Persuaders in 1973 and by Rod Stewart in 1984). They may not be perfect (Kim’s words), but they are so authentic, heartfelt and pure (my words) that this intimate indie pop gets under your skin. ”

“In a crowded release week like last week, an album doesn’t get a lot of time to impress, but Kim Ware’s Ready didn’t need much time either. ... Ready by Kim Ware has one foot in American roots music and with the other foot in 90s college rock and folk rock. It delivers an original sound, but also a sound that can only make you very happy. Kim Ware conjures up one irresistible pop song after another on Ready and interprets them in a very characteristic way.

... Listening to Ready makes me think more than once of the music of 10,000 Maniacs, but the names of Neko Case and The Cranberries also came to mind when I first listened to Ready and have stuck with me ever since. It doesn’t mean that Kim Ware’s music is very similar to that of the names mentioned, because although Ready sounds familiar in one way or another, I can’t think of anything comparable that comes close to this album. I just like that Kim Ware makes American roots music with a 90s twist.

It’s a sound that should appeal to lovers of American roots music as well as fans of more indie rock music, and it’s music that can only make you very happy. Especially when Ready comes out of the speakers with a lot of volume, the sun’s rays fly around your ears. These rays of sunshine mainly come from the guitars on the album, although these guitars can also sound quite melancholy.

It all fits beautifully with the striking vocals of Kim Ware, who very occasionally and certainly in the rougher tracks are somewhat reminiscent of Kirsty MacColl, but also has a voice that is steeped in American roots music. ... it is one of my favorites from the past weeks or even months.”

“Sometimes I don’t know if I’m complimenting an artist when I say they sound popish-60s. But that was a glorious time. Hit singles were always melodic, tight, ingenious & catchy. That’s what Kim Ware & The Good Graces’ new CD Ready provides ... The opener “capital R” is soaked in an expressive pop melody. To me it’s attractive. It’s done well. The air around it is almost like many of the classic girl groups of that era: The Shangri-Las, The Toys & Dixie-Cups if not Marcie Blaine’s little classic “Bobby’s Girl,” & Robin Ward’s unforgettable “Wonderful Summer.” Its sweetness mixed with melancholy. Not easy to do. There’s a girl-group toughness to her vocalizing that’s vulnerable & charming. It doesn’t sound retro or nostalgic – just a vintage style refreshed, filled with high-octane originality & relatable. “I don’t want to be here, but you’re so inviting…” is so cool. The clean chiming guitars& Kim’s vocal is pure adolescent glee.”

“Like most of Ware’s work, it’s an album for those who love storytellers ... From the twang and steel ripple of the weary “Bird in One Hand” to the drum machine-backed Teen-Beatish swirl of “Like a Bottle,” Ware keeps you right on her sleeve with lyrics that both incise and crack wise.”

“For over a decade, singer/songwriter/Southerner Kim Ware has been crafting indie-folk songs full of heart and twang with her project Kim Ware and the Good Graces. On her latest album Ready, she’s digging deeper inside than ever before. The result is an album overflowing with brutal honesty, (often hilarious) youthful angst, and an emotional core that could melt even the most hardened of hearts. ”

“Ready is an album made up of pre-pandemic songs mixed with a few written under Lockdown. ... Ware’s voice comes across as a Kirsty MacColl from the Southern States. ... It’s well worth spending time with this album and getting to know Ware’s songs.”

““Overflowing” is an ethereal rambler that plays out like an offbeat sum of parts: grungy guitar tones, a neo-western flourish, and some indie folk harmonies. Ware’s straight-shooting vocal delivery brings it all together, casting haunting reflections over the tune. The Good Graces’ accompanying lyric video for the single drives the mood further, complete with washed-out yellows and reds across a smoky landscape.”

“Their sound has been compared to artists like Neko Case, Drive-By Truckers, Phoebe Bridgers and The Weepies among others. But upon listening to the forthcoming Good Graces album, entitled Ready, it’s clear how Ware and her mates are coming into their own distinctive sound themselves, finding them stepping out of the country/folk trappings and towards a more electric feel reminiscent of celebrated 90s acts like Belly and Juliana Hatfield.

The album, which is due out on September 16 and produced by early Superchunk associate Jerry Kee, is filled with songs written both before the COVID-19 outbreak, like the breakup rocker “U2 (Means to an End),” the shimmering “Overflowing,” and a tribute to her late father called “So Many Questions.” Others were written in the throes of the pandemic and subsequent civil unrest that transpired under the Trump Administration, like the self-evident, “Stopped Making Plans” and “Odds and Evens,” written in response to the events of January 6th. “”

“Throughout [Set Your Sights], vocalist Kim Ware (who helped get the group together in 2006) maintains the heart-on-your-sleeve, emotional rollercoaster class of writing she proliferates on her previous albums. Jumping between elements of folk, indie, and ambient music (with some church bells and steel pedal guitar in there too) Ware and company have created an album that will appeal to fans of bands like Cayetana or Bright Eyes without ever feeling like folk music is being forced down their throats. That’s a tough line to toe, and the Good Graces do it well.”

“It’s no stretch to call Kim Ware an Atlanta treasure. Fans of her songs have always been delighted by her keen eye for subtle images and toe-tapping arrangements. “His Name Was the Color That I Loved”–the first single from from the Good Graces’ upcoming full length Prose and Consciousness—is no exception. Written as an elegiac tribute to a patriarch, the song is a character sketch with Ware depicting the deceased as having “a way about him / a quiet confidence / a man of few words but they always made sense.” The song chugs along on a jaunty train beat made all the more stirring by the chicken picking of an electric guitar. The final product will find admirers from fans of Neko Case, Drive-By Truckers, and the Weepies.”

“The story goes that the Good Graces started on an impulse, when Kim Ware bought her acoustic guitar, Buzzy, from Lakewood Antiques Market in 2006. The artist was well regarded as a drummer in the Atlanta scene, but she and Buzzy proved to be a perfect duo as songs began to flow out from them. Now, the Good Graces are a revered indie-folk collective known for delivering evocative songwriting, and in those regards, “Snow Angels” is no different. The song strikes a chord of spiritual beauty about keeping ties with your loved ones even after they’ve gone. It hits a poignant blend of emotions in the subtle buildup towards its crescendo, where Ware’s reflective vocals are met by a broad stroke of folk instrumentation that, together, evoke their full sentiment.”

“On The Good Graces new LP Prose and Consciousness, Kim Ware’s trademark wonder and wit are front and center. Tempered by love, loss, and a love of songwriting, this collection of songs is the strongest of Ware’s career and establishes her as an essential voice in the southern songwriting community and beyond.”

“Ware paints an image in your head of the unfolding narrative being reminiscent of the late and great Johnny Cash. ... You just feel every piece of emotion coming out of Ware’s voice.”

“Led by frontwoman Kim Ware, the Good Graces are prepping to release their new record, Set Your Sights on July 7th. Filled with atmospheric Americana and lush indie-folk tracks, the reflective set is set apart by Ware’s warbling Southern drawl (recalling early Sonia Leigh) confessional lyrics.”

“Album opener “Out There” sets the stage for Ware’s existential musings, as the songstress ponders one of humankind’s longest-running inquiries: are we alone in this infinite expanse? Is there anybody (else) out there? Philosophical queries aside, however, the Good Graces have always been at their best when enveloping Ware’s graceful guitar playing and expressive vocals in an ambient mist of lightly textured Americana and drifting folk, and here the group manages to sound both stark and stunningly majestic. Like the question it seeks to address, “Out There” is imbued with a sense of hopeful optimism and wonder, but swim past the natural beauty of Ware’s voice, and there’s a hint of foreboding in the water. When all is said and done, loneliness may just be our lot. What’s important is that we never stop searching and moving forward.”

“The Good Graces‘ Set Your Sights is a breakup record, and it tears me up pretty good. ... “7-Year Sentence (Going to Hell)” is the centerpiece of the record, an alt-country ballad that lays out the difficult complexities of the break-up with unusual, unflinching candor. It’s pretty heavy stuff. The song itself is way more fun than the lyrics, even if it’s a minor-key ballad; the band is in top flight (as they are throughout the record) from the booming bass lines to the zinging lead guitar to the choir singing the last chorus. The tune perfectly fuses alt-country gloom with indie-pop enthusiasm. It is not as weird as it sounds. ... But there are beautiful (and even fun!) moments amid the tough lyrics. The instrumental work here is top-notch, too. If you’re looking for a solid alt-country record, indie-pop record, or breakup record, this one will fit the bill nicely.”

“It’s an exquisitely chosen band name, this Good Graces; for while frontwoman Kim Ware, of Atlanta, has been compared (favorably, and for the most part, accurately) to Juliana Hatfield, Liz Phair and Kristin Hersh, there’s an ineffable goodness and grace evidenced here that literally takes the breath away at times on this songcycle of love discovered, experienced, fractured, reaffirmed, then surrendered. ... Blood On the Tracks and Shoot Out the Lights fans, take note.”

“Kim Ware’s on-again indie folk project has served up a little slice of heaven for the Atlanta music scene (and the world). The album is a sonic dream, with beautiful instrumentation to complement Ware’s matter-of-fact vocals. ... Sun is an exquisite composition that pushes and pulls your emotions to the point that it must be heard again and again. Comparisons have been made to Liz Phair and Lucinda Williams, but tGG come out of the gate with a sound all their own.”

“Close to the Sun is a brilliant collection of acoustic-led tunes across a number of genres. ... the overall product comes together in a way that is emotionally impressive, intellectually rewarding, and aesthetically pleasing. Ware has done an incredible job pulling together genre-subverting arrangements and lyrics with beautiful vocals, resulting in an album that is hard to stop listening to. If you’re into acoustic-led music, Close to the Sun should very much be on your to-hear list.”