Audience reviews are from the SXSW showcase Web site.

“Cool, original songs and a voice like an angel in heat.”

“Great talent, good voice, creative songwriting, humorous style, captivating stage presence!”

“Sexy, sultry, and sarcastic.”

“Jennifer Cook was the highlight performance of the singer/songwriter showcase this evening. Her passionate voice and energetic guitar helped to captivate the audience along with her interjection of wit.”

“Ms. Cook is one of the best vocal talents in Austin. Her soulful singing and musical talent left me wanting for more. She is, perhaps, one of the best kept secrets in the Austin music scene. I can't wait to see her next show.”

“Poetic and grippingly beautiful songs.”

"Jennifer Ellen Cook called her latest CD A Storytelling of Crows, but she might just as easily have named it Je Ne Sais Quoi for all its elusive charm. Crows tells tales, some of them about Cook herself. Mike Stewart's fine hand produced this 1960s-influenced indie pop, which lets us in on the wisdom and lyrical acuity Cook's accrued over her years on the local scene."
Austin Chronicle, Margaret Moser

“Sensational vocalist.”
Austin American-Statesman

"Smash Riley [aka Jennifer Ellen Cook] play originals that combine their love of rock, grooves,'60s soul, old jazz, and good songs in general. Singer/songwriter Jennifer Cook is known for her amazing voice, shining stage presence, and rapport with the audience. One observer described her as "Sheryl Crow meets Jessica Rabbit."
Indie Sounds NY, on the band's Antone's show

"On my last night in Texas I'm out at Antone's. Jennifer Ellen Cook is the singer, writer, and inspirationalist for Smash Riley. We first met a few years back at the SXSW Music conference when she was doing wry solo material and heading for Paris. It was a lethally interesting combo. Her music is a sly, teasing, lightly-wicked affair, restless and bright. This is an easy-to-like band that takes funky midtempo rhythms and pops them up into rounded rock numbers. There's some listening, and some dancing, and some drinking, and it all fits together. Jennifer is sharp and present and has a great voice, and it's hard to keep your eyes off her."
Linus Gelber, SXSW/event photographer

“An immensely memorable voice.”
CMJ New Music Report, NYC

“ Jennifer Ellen Cook's smartly written pop songs and dynamic vocal range have been earning her enthusiastic response. On stage, Cook displays a wicked sense of humor and a strong presence."
Austin American-Statesman, Best Bets.

“Jennifer Ellen Cook has remarkable songwriting abilities, her voice is nothing short of sultry, and she's good to look at. She leaves a lasting impression, carrying with her the personality and sense of humor that make the best people even better. A great time out with wonderfully original material.”
INsite Magazine, Band of the Month

“Fine vocals and memorable, cast-iron melodies.”
Austin Chronicle

“Flawlessly arranged songs...a refreshingly-unaffected, endearingly-pretty voice.”
Jason Cohen, Austin Chronicle

“No kidding, Jennifer Cook is the whole package. She's got star-quality, stage presence, strong guitar playing and a whole batch of smartly-written songs that draw on folk, rock and pop. Not to mention, she's got one of the best voices in town. Highly recommended.”
Mike's Feedback Mag

“Jennifer Cook has a terrific voice, but it's her intelligent and articulate lyrics that make her shine. A dynamic performer, she writes the kind of intelligent, literate, song-centered acoustic music that flourishes on London's circuit, in which she'd be a natural star.”
Music City

“Well-crafted ear candy that Squeeze or David Byrne would write if they didn't spend so much time trying to impress us with clever wordplay. And neither has vocals quite like Cook's wondrous range and tone. Onstage she is energetic and self-assured without resorting to cockiness.”
Austin Chronicle

“Strong vocals, precise songs... highly recommended.”
Buzz, NY