PRESS REVIEWS


 
2026:

“Shimoni’s tranquil vocals manage to take the human condition and break it down into a series of poignant refrains, which linger long after the song has ended.”
 
“With “Over,” Orit Shimoni continues to demonstrate the power of thoughtful songwriting, offering listeners a timely reminder that meaningful connection remains one of music's most enduring strengths.”
 
“This release arrives during a genuinely active stretch for Shimoni, whose most recent album Winnipeg earned a nomination for Best Solo Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awards, extending a body of work that has already drawn praise from outlets including The Calgary Herald, which specifically named her one of the nation’s most alluring vocalists. That kind of sustained critical recognition across more than two decades speaks toward genuine consistency, an artist who has built her reputation gradually through considerable touring and songwriting rather than through any single breakthrough moment.”
 
“A career built on songs that meet people where they are. Shimoni’s sweeping ballads and quiet anthems have helped listeners feel less alone, and she shows no sign of stepping away from the road anytime soon.
 
“Over” is a great example of how knowing when enough is enough can be powerful, and how you can build space where minor musical elements can have big emotional weight….[the song] creates a more intimate space where the simplest melodic gestures can make an indelible imprint”
  • Zillions Magazine: “Orit Shimoni finds the power of less in the quiet beauty of “Over”
 
2025:
 
“Shimoni’s passion for singing combined with learning guitar around age 11 led her to take on a nomadic lifestyle as a full-time artist in 2010. She has played hundreds of gigs at cafés, bars, festivals, theatres, living rooms and for train passengers on Via Rail Canada.”
 
“One of the principal roles of the singer-songwriter is to help us process our emotions by expressing in art what we struggle to express in words. But the pandemic has been so huge, so complicated, so all consuming, that few songwriters have managed to get far enough outside of it to sum it up for us yet.
“Winnipeg is the first collection of songs that’s had me thinking to myself, “Yes. That’s it. That’s how it went down, isn’t it?”
It also happens to be a stirring, beautifully-crafted album by any measure.”
 
2024:
 
“Candid reflections on vexed circumstances: that’s Orit Shimoni’s specialty. She writes and sings with disarming frankness”
  • Skope Magazine:

 
“Writing with disarming frankness, she tells a story with the poet’s grace and conversational ease”
  • Essentially Pop: “Orit Shimoni Gives us Pause for Thought With new Single, “Winnipeg”

 
2022:
“Shimoni is a free spirit who values the things in her life that are authentic and real to her. Given her prolific output and her thirst for new growth and experiences, it will not be very long until we hear from her creative muse again.”
  • Lonesome Highway:  “Orit Shimoni – Lorem Ipsum” (album review)

 
 
2021:
“A winning amalgamation of both Dylan and Cohen…. Shimoni approaches the visceral and spiritual appeal of Patti Smith at her most mystical. Overall, Lorem Ipsum is a cry from the heart and it deserves to be heard far and wide.
The result is this lo-fi record which, in spite of its humble origins, positively speaks to the human condition and is yet another reason to consider Shimoni as one of the most under rated songwriters and singers of our time”
 
“Warm, poignant, striking, literary. Lyrics that stand the test of time and—through the sheer atmosphere of the poetry—transport you to another dimension.
 
<>-https://www.realrootscafe.com/orit-shimoni-lorem-ipsum/
 
 
 
 
2020:
“Strange and Beautiful is certainly an album worth celebrating. Produced by Shimoni and featuring songs she has written over the course of many years, the album was recorded with a full band in a Toronto studio with engineer and musician Douglas September. While the songs don’t sound unduly polished, they do have a full, multi-layered sound compared to some of the more intimate material Shimoni has recorded in the past.”
  • The Calgary Herald,

 
“A trek through American music over ten, melancholy-ish songs, all of which borrow freely from various eras and styles, only to modernize them in a way that’ll make you forget modernity altogether. This is music for people who were floored by Bob Dylan’s run from Love And Left through to Tempest…..   all you need to know for right now is that from open to close, you’ll find yourself consistently surprised at the level of ingenuity, flexibility and craftsmanship in every single song. It’s a real gift. It shouldn’t be missed.”
  • Roots Music Canada (album review)

 
2019: 
“Orit digs deep into her soul and allows us to see her heart,”
  • Cahbox Canada -“Orit Shimoni – Lost and Found on the Road to Nowhere”  (album review)

 
 
 
2018:
“Shimoni is an excellent teller of tales who should be more widely recognised as she roves around baring her heart”
 
“With Lost and Found, you are struck by the sheer beauty of where she takes you with simple words strung into poems about the human condition that are part of all our lives, painted by an achingly honest voice on a canvass of gently flowing melodies. Orit Shimoni has a real way with words, whether in songs or poems, or in conversation”
  • Roots Music Canada – “What’s It Like to Live on the Road?  Ask Orit Shimoni”

 
 
2016:
“I first discovered the music of singer and songwriter Orit Shimoni in 2006 when she released her first CD under the name “Little Birdie.” It struck me then that her best songs had a quality reminiscent of Leonard Cohen – a comparison that has deepened for me over the years as I’ve followed her evolution as a singer, songwriter and performer.”
  • Folk Roots/Folk Branches Blog by Mike Regenstreif

 
 
 
2015:
“The album itself is a wonderful thing — recalling Emmylou Harris’s absorbing classic Wrecking Ball for all of the right reasons…..  gorgeous and somehow life affirming.”
  • Calgary Herald:  “Orit Shimoni tackles timeless themes on gorgeous new, old release” (album review)

 
 


" a wandering minstrel that shows great insight into the human condition and our collective conundrums."  - Lonesome Highway

"Shimoni approaches the visceral and spiritual appeal of Patti Smith at her most mystical" - Blabber N' Smoke

 “ Orit knows how to translate what is going on in the world into words and music with great precision and accuracy..  If you don't know her yet, get to know her now. Urgently!”"  Rootstime Magazine

" With each show her audience has grown - a testament to the wonderful balance of her lyrical genius, haunting voice, and musical talents. " -  Ian Mattey,  Winnipeg Concert Promoter"

"An emotional and powerful listen.... Dylan like as it encompasses empathy and condemnation" - Paul Kerr, UK reviewer Lorem Ipsum album Review

"Pure as Snow" Dan Bern -  Lorem Ipsum Album Review

"A trek through American music over ten, melancholy-ish songs, all of which borrow freely from various eras and styles, only to modernize them in a way that'll make you forget modernity altogether." (Strange and Beautiful Things album review - )
Roots Music Canada

"One of the most interesting singer / songwriters I have met in a long time, male or female. Strong lyrics, beautiful voice" - Music Szzene Berlin

"One of this nation's most intriguing and alluring vocalists, with five albums under her belt and acclaim from all corners of the globe." - The Calgary Herald

" One of Canada’s most brilliant and lyrically impactful vocalists...Candid, full of fascination and humour,... An exceptional bout of worldly experience pours from her captivating vocal sound, ." -  Beatroute Magazine

"Superb and moving!!" - Henry Lees, 

"Playing impressive fingerstyle guitar, she commands a vocal wallop and her intense, singer-songwriter material covers a lot of ground....Shimoni offsets her somewhat bleak subject matter with a clear gift for banter and storytelling, revealing a strong sense of humour as she adds context to each composition." - Roots Music Canada

"Where some stripped back albums can leave an artist sounding plain and fragile, Shimoni’s vocals continue to soar as they entwine with the rhythms of her guitar. ‘Bare Bones’ captures the majesty of a fine singer/songwriter at her most vulnerable, while further highlighting her extraordinary talent." - Americana UK.

""Unobtrusive beautiful record, this "Bare Bones". - Rootstime, BE


"Her deep, melodic voice and finger-picking drew the crowd in nearly instantly and kept them there until the very end. She not only mastered the art of storytelling that evening though also sublime entertainment,which left the crowd left to only wait for another visit from the memorable Little Birdie." -  Indie 403


"Fantastic show @railwayclub last night. Little Birdie is an incredible performer and songwriter. Also, amazing collaboration with Chris Rzepa as the emotion of the cello was a beautiful compliment to the performance! —" - Tweets Tunes, Vancouver

“The worldly and emotionally intelligent lyrics of these songs reflect Shimoni’s rich life experience and accomplished academic background…. Fortunately for us, she has decided to go where her heart and talents lead her, be it to gigs across Canada or on tour in Europe, where she is performing this spring. Once you have heard “Sadder Music,” you’ll want to know what will follow.” – The Forward

" With themes of love, war, social injustice, and existential longing, Orit manages to maintain a timeless, universal quality in her melodic songs, while remaining simple, honest and true.” – Melodica Festival, Berlin


“Shimoni stamps her personality all over the record and proves to be a very engaging artist.” – Americana.UK

“A very fine singer and songwriter who has gathered folk, blues and gospel influences into a very satisfying whole." – Americana UK
 

“Head down to Inglewood music hotspot the Ironwood to take in the fine roots stylings of Quebec singer-songwriter Little Birdie (a.k.a. Orit Shimoni). The artist, whose gorgeous voice has earned comparisons to other performers such as Neko Case and Patti Smith, is a CKUA and CBC radio fave, and has spent the couple of years writing and honing her craft in Europe.” – The Calgary Herald

“Much like a bird she has no fixed address, no keys, and she never learned how to drive. Besides her backpack, she also travels with  guitar, which makes her not just any Little Birdie — she is a songbird. “ – The Canmore Leader


 “I was impressed by Little Birdie” – L.A. Beat

" Her leap of faith has certainly paid off. Since her debut, she's released two more albums, 2009's I Left the City Burning and this year's Sadder Music, written and recorded in Berlin. She has a fourth album in the mixing stage, too. Critics have, far and wide, praised Shimoni's ability with words and poignant melodies. Preferring to traffic in cynicism and doubt in order to understand the world around her — one that changes much more rapidly than yours or mine as she's constantly on the move — Shimoni's songs are dark but not overly lugubrious. " - Beatroute Magazine