Reviews (and other nice things folks have said about us)
Bill MacPherson - Bounder magazine
Usually, I’m sending discs to my boss along with an invoice. So it was a pleasant reversal of the regular to get this little self-produced gem from him. That the core of the band hails from around my old stomping grounds of Westboro – and that their third effort is so assured and likable – is a treat too… Read Complete ArticleVintage Guitar Magazine - January 2017, Extra Extra
This eclectic Canadian band features Trevor May on guitar, and his playing is as well-rounded as the band. They excel at roots rock and country: "Reason to Smile," "Catherine," and "The Ballad Of Don Rich and Buck Owens" are among the highlights. Violinist Deanna McDougall and vocalist Theresa McInerney also shine. - JHJames Mann - Ink19 Magazine
Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, these guys do American roots rock better than most of the acts you’d find in the lower 48, primarily because they refuse to be kept in any one genre or fashion. Led by the vocals and guitar of Trevor May and Theresa McInerney, the group can go from twangy alt-country of “Way Down Town” to the full-on thrash of “Catherine”, which is a bit like what you’d imagine Bob Mould would sound like if he played a Telecaster and laid off the electronica.The secret weapon on Invincible is the soaring violin of Deanna McDougall, whose melodic lines lift numbers such as the Cowboy Junkies-ish “Long Walk Home”, reminding you a bit of Rolling Thunder-Dylan and his work with Scarlet Rivera. And when May and McInerney sing together, such as on “Around My Heart” or “Snowed In”, you can’t help but be reminded of the great Richard and Linda Thompson duets. Their tribute to the Bakersfield sound on “The Ballad of Don Rich and Buck Owens” is a hella-fast romp with some nifty Richian twang fills, while the acoustic title cut tells of “feeling invincible on the playground”.
Cornflower Blue break out of the standard roots pack with good songs, great guitars and that sublime fiddle. A little bit Bottle Rockets, a bit of Sugar, mixed with a healthy dose of twang make Invincible a can’t miss. That’s an order!
Midwest Record - CORNFLOWER BLUE/Invincible
Your pop was digging bands like NRPS before your grand parents caught on to all the drug references in the music. Take that vibe and mix it with contemporary earnest roots rock and you come up with an overview of what's going on here. This bunch of Canadians is a nice assemblage of instrumentalists and writers that know well how to make an after hours rocker. In the best traditional of pub rockers, they keep you engaged and drinking and the night passes just right. Delightfully well done.The Alternate Root
Cornflower Blue self-produced Invincible, giving their Alt Country a bite with a lonesome rock’n’roll that finds comfort nestled in the arms of Country twang.Brian Baker - Country Standard Time
Recent musical evolution has inspired a question that rivals musing about the sounds of one hand clapping or falling trees in the absence of human perception; what exactly does one call Americana created by Canadians? In the case of Cornflower Blue, the answer is less about identifying a sonic definition and more about enjoying the circuitous yet coherent ride that vocalists/guitarists Trevor May and Theresa McInerney and their assembled friends provide on "Invincible," their third outing together. … Read Complete ArticleSheryl and Don Crow, The Nashville Blues Society
The folks that are the heart and soul of Cornflower Blue come from Ottawa, Ontario, and, as you listen to their latest album, “Invincible,” you’ll hear elements of classic country, rock, and folk, conjuring up memories of Johnny and June, Gram and Emmylou, and, even Buck and Don. They use the occurrences of everyday life, along with all its hopes and dreams, heartbreaks and victories, as elements on which to build their original songs, and combine searing guitars right next to the fiddles to achieve their desired sounds. … Read Complete ArticleRapid River Magazine
I’ve been a fan of this Ottawa, Ontario based quintet since I first stumbled across their second album Running Down the Rails. Interlacing threads of country, folk and rock they easily conjure up The Byrds, Poco, (whom the band readily admits as influences) and others of that genre but, with the shared vocals of Theresa McInerney and Trevor May, backed by a rhythm section built around violin, bass, and drums, I liken them more to the Richard and Linda Thompson era of Fairport Convention. … Read Complete ArticleJohn Shelton Ivany (past editor of Hit Parader and Country Song Roundup)
(with) 'Run Down the Rails' Cornflower Blue have created an album with songs that have so much power in them, such powerful heartbreakers about loneliness that it's emotionally crushing.A Labour of Love - Kitchissippi Times
Fatherhood's sleepless nights inspires album by musical duo 'Cornflower Blue' (Paula Roy, Kitchissippi Times)Musicians often equate the process of making an album with giving birth. The analogy is particularly apt in the case of Highland Park resident Trevor May, who is one half of the dynamic, electric-folk duo 'Cornflower Blue'. ... Read Complete Article
Kitchissippi Times - Tony Mantis
After 15 years of crafting compelling Americana-style folks music, Westboro-based Cornflower Blue seem to have found a sweet spot…. Read Complete ArticleMusic News Nashville - Chick Dauplin (5 out of 5 stars)
The Ottawa-based duo of Trevor May and Theresa McInerney definitely don’t sound like anyone that you’re hearing (or not hearing, for that matter) on the radio today. There’s the tight harmonies that remind one of some of Country’s finest moments.... Read Complete ArticleKeys and Chords - Philip Verhaege (5 out of 5 stars)
Cornflower Blue, where else did we hear that play on words? Oh right, it was one of the favorite colors of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. It’s a shade of azure, light of color with a little green in it. Just like the album that we just received: sober, modest and honestly lovely. ... Read Complete ArticleRootstime (Eddie Janssens)
Not only was Cornflower Blue the favorite color of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, it also is the name of a Canadian Americana/Folk Duo comprised of Trevor May and Theresa McInerney. Along with their backing band, they have now brought their second release on the market, which goes by the name “Run Down The Rails”. And sure enough, this record runs like a steaming locomotive going down shiny rails. ... Read Complete ArticleBilly Bop - a tribute to roots music (5 out of 5 stars)
Canadian duo Trevor May & Theresa MCInerney aka Cornflower Blue releases their second album Run Down the Rails early 2012. Although the band wasn’t really out there to take part in the International musicscene they certainly are from now on. Put together more for the fun of making music, the first album of Cornflower Blue reached out to many people with a heart for country & American roots music and before they realized it their fan base increasingly grew over the years.... Read Complete ArticleMaverick Country - Alan Cackett
Cornflower Blue is Trevor May and Theresa McInerney, a pair of Ottawa musicians creating live folk music with chiming guitars and shimmering vocal harmonies…. Read Complete ArticleThe Daily News - McKeesport, PA (4 out of 5 stars)
CORNFLOWER BLUE, “Run Down the Rails” (self-released) — Leave it to a couple of Canadians to serve up a tasty slice of Americana. Trevor May and Theresa McInerney, aka Cornflower Blue, have been doing their thing for more than 15 years, though the enjoyable “Run Down the Rails” is just their second album of twangy folk.Bandmates Deanna McDougall (violin), Dasha Korycan (bass) and Rob MacLeod (drums) played a bigger role in the eight-track release, and their efforts are noticeable.
The stellar title track kicks things off and segues into personal favourite “Cold Lake (Silver Jets and Sunsets),” in which McDougall steals the show. Additional highlights include “Morning With the Young Man Revisited,” “Mr. Air Traffic Controller” and “Fisherman’s Blues.” Good stuff. (JS)
