Review from The Boston Noise - October 2006
MONIQUE ORTIZ, Ov Records
Reclining Female,10-song CD
Thirty-four minutes of weird, contrary, concentrated genius. The remorseful plaint and relentless pulse of ..Minor Key... The creepy, mournful, lost ambiance of the ominous ..D.M.Y... The thrumming thousand-mile-away desolation of ..Yellowest Leaves... The hopelessness of ..Lay Down... These striking, though downbeat songs are interspersed with odd, ambient instrumentals like ..Motherless Girls,.. and ..Patch Bay.. that provide a signal to the ground. This is a wonderful and strange album, and unclassifiable by any objective standard. But so much of it is so brilliant that I can hardly stand it. This is the best, most innovative album I've heard all year. (Francis DiMenno) (Link To The Website)
Review from Collectedsounds.com
Monique Ortiz normally fronts the excellent Bourbon Princess, but this is a collection of demos. We get Ortiz solo with her bass and guitar. It works mostly since her raw delivery thrives in such a restrained setting. Her similarities with Polly Harvey are obvious on Minor Key a haunting song that sees her androgynous singing at its best. The lovely DMY is a curious track where Ortiz harmonies seem to take on a life of their own. Yellowest Leaves is crisp and clear like early autumn. Ortiz fluid playing is better than ever. Reclining Female is a little rough around the edges but none the worse for it. It makes for fascinating listening. (Link To The Website)