"Lizzie Cook is like a vacation. Her whole album is like taking a fantastic foreign trip. From French cafes to Irish pubs, you'll feel just as if you're there and enjoying the atmosphere, despite the fact you're stuck sorting laundry and coloring your hair. "40 Damn Years" is a perfect album for the girl who needs to escape and have a smile on her lips."
Girlmedia
"Accordionist Lizzie Cook's long awaited debut, 40 Damn Years, [is] an album that showcases the chanteuse's talent for sultry, swingin' Euro-café numbers."
The Press, Friday 23 April 1999
"I requested a review copy of this based on the title as well as the artist's publicity still. Ms. Cook seemed to be a fun spirit. I'm happy to say that I was right. Her CD is a joy. I had little to find fault with. All that I noticed amiss was a wee bit of repetitiveness. Though after all, the old standard - you can't have too much of a good thing, is a standard for its inherent truth.
The title track, 40 Damn Years, is, quite simply, one of the best tunes that I've heard in awhile. Another favorite of mine, #3 Highland, is stunning in its sheer beauty.
Can I capture her style or sum her up in a few short words? Nope, not I. I tried to describe her music to my husband, who is a long-time music aficionado and came up with very few, inadequate, words. I tried bluesy, folksy, ethnic, spirited and spiritual. Not one of those words even comes close to the wonderful truth.
So, I have to go now and slip the CD into my PC once again and escape all the daily nonsense."
Leann Arndt, Buzz Review News
Despite those years Lizzie Cook's voice is almost childlike, soft, angelic and sexy like chocolate. The strength of this album is built around Lizzie's fluent piano accordian work. She composed all the tracks here (with a little help from Cushla Foley) with no guitar tracks throughout. Her backing band is professional and mature but then what else would you expect from the phenomenal talents of Wally Tairakena (drums) and James Wilkinson (bass). I go through a mix of scenes in my head listening to this. From imagining myself sipping red wine by the Eiffel tower to dancing wildly with the 'Green man of the woods' naked and dreaming. Highland and Raining bring out the best in this girl, the former track a definite winner being a dynamic instrumental interwoven with strong vocal harmonies while Raining has a sweet lyrical catch. Hear the Angels in another cool track and is infectious and almost innocent. Other tracks like Sleep and Struggle to Love get thoughtful lyrics but aren't really my cup of tea. Anyway Lizzie Cook plays sweet and gutsy.
David Gideon, NZ Musician, December 1999 / January 2000
Lizzie Cook plays accordian….. Yes accordian! On this CD she also sings and writes songs that are a heady collision of Celtic mayhem, bar mihtzva madness and East European cabaret style all performed with enthusiasm, a dash of humour and an undercurrent of percussive jazziness. And while this may sound like a strange mix, familiar images of marram grass, sandy beaches, the ocean, sun and sky abound in her lyrics placing the song firmly in a local context. In a way also the accordian tends to camouflage Cook's talent as a jazz chanteuse with some of the standout tracks placing more emphasis on her voice as she moves beyond the boundaries of traditional accordian music. This is most notable on the torch ballad Down to the Beach and the dub style of On the Road Again. Percussion, bass and drums combine well with the accordian, often taking a jazzy detour that at times becomes almost theatrical and it's these excursions that hold the most interest.
Tony Parker, New Zealand Musician Magazine, June / July, 2002
Lizzie Cook's latest CD offering dishes up some rather excellent music. Backed by some of Christchurch's finest musicians she takes us on a musical journey which is a rare treat in the Antipodean entertainment industry. The CD starts off with marvelous up tempo dance music which settles in a beautiful languid songs and introspective lyrics. This time Lizzie also shows off her considerable keyboard skills on the grand piano boarding on pure jazz with an outstanding rhythm section behind her. There is some awesome bass/drums/percussion playing on this CD and Lizzie's voice has definitely matured well since her first CD "Forty Damn Years". She has the ability to take on several music styles with ease and her accordian weaves its way with effortless grace. The production quality is of international standard, recorded in ChCh at SweetJuice - it is heartening to know that we still have original talent in the Garden City who has not given up on today's crowded music market which is generally drained of any meaning of content - thumbs up!! This CD can take a hammering! And I'll look forward to the next one!
Z Hubelmayer, Presto Magazine, March 2002
With a flourish of optimism and Celtic polka swing, Cantabrian resident Lizzie Cook has returned this year with her second album, Letter from my heart (Edge). The cover of the disc is bordered and lined with shining paua, sand and sea, and Cook's enjoyment of life (and music) seeps from her songs at every turn. From the cabaret personality of the vocals, to the accordian and keyboards leading a large rhythm and percussion support crew, her personal take on modern folk-pop is refreshingly different from the average. Letter from my heart is a lively dance through a potpourri of lives, days and nights, and with themes from simple pleasures to personal pre-occupations, Cook's jazz-tinged arrangements and atmospheres flow like the waves on the cover.
Real Groove Magazine, April 2002