The professor of music had an article published in a professional women arts journal.
Professor of Music Thomas Erdmann had Extension Of Your Soul, a 6,000-word article, published in the Winter 2016 issue of WomenArts Quarterly Journal.
The article is on singer/songwriter Sally Crewe. The Yorkshire, England native, now living in Austin, Texas, has been working consistently since before her first release, Drive It Like You Stole It, in 2003, putting together songs that feature great melodies, infectious hooks, a solid driving rock beat behind her well-thought out lyrics, and drawing on her musical skillfulness to make the entire package come together in a tremendously fantastic manner.
The critics have been, right from the beginning, in awe of her abilities. In writing about her debut CD critic Tim Sendra wrote, “Crewe has a tough and tender voice perfect for rock & roll, her guitar playing is spot-on, and she writes songs that are lean and wiry like new wave (Wire, the Pretenders) and as catchy as the Modern Lovers or Cheap Trick.” He went on to write, regarding Tonight from the same CD, “(it) instantly grabs you with its tightly strummed chords in the verses that burst into clanging shards for the hooky-as-punch chorus.”
Critic Joseph Neff wrote, “Crewe has an abundance of sly pop moves at her disposal, but like (Chrissie) Hynde (of the Pretenders) she’s a rocker deep down… a chanteuse that just happens to be backed up by guitar bass and drums.” Regarding Crewe’s third CD release, Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You, critic Mark Deming wrote, “This is great pop-minded rock & roll crafted in a style that sounds timeless… (she) deserves a prominent place in your CD collection.” Critic Paul Bruno, in writing about her lyrics, said, “It’s a tribute to Sally’s craft that her take on love and romance never ventures into trite or drippy territory.”
Her music falls into a number of musical categories, but critics tend to most often put her into the Power Pop genre. This category of music is generally defined as having strong melodies, a more aggressive rock music background when compared to regular rock and roll including a stronger drum presence, a striped down sound element with regards to not overproducing the music, and a clear vocal presence. Critic Curty Ray wrote, concerning her Transmit/Receive E.P., “(this recording) is everything a Power Pop album should be, winning hooks and crunchy guitars that compliment electrifying vocals and smart songwriting.”