Patrick Foster wrote about Georgie James in September 2007 for The Washington Post:
"Pop" as a descriptor is overdue for the scrap heap, but if the term evokes for you the dizzying years bookended by Feb. 9, 1964 (when the Beatles appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show") and Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock set, then "Places," the debut from D.C. duo Georgie James, should soon be your favorite album. Part love letter to Merseybeat and power pop, part rainy Saturday melancholy, the disc is totally captivating: a distillation of John Davis and Laura Burhenn's considerable musical savvy.
GJ fans will be familiar with the album's track list, as versions of these songs have been scattered across a single, demo CD and MySpace. But even those who know the insistent tug of "More Lights" or "Need Your Needs" will be thrilled with their definitive presentations here. Uncluttered and ringing, the 12 songs sagely match evocations of a romantic era (Kinks fans will melt for "Henry and Hanzy") to bittersweet, modern pleas ("Comfortable Headphones," "Long Week"). "Hard Feelings" buzzes like vintage Love, the title track echoes unjustly forgotten D.C. power pop combo High Back Chairs, and the opener, "Look Me Up," smartly channels a Davis touchstone, Paul Collins.
The songwriting is cast into high relief by deft production. Davis's propulsive drums (he formerly banged skins for revered D.C. art-punks Q and Not U) are shoved front and center, where they bump against Burhenn's harmonies. The spell is broken only once -- the stale "Cake Parade" -- during 40 invigorating minutes. It hardly matters, because these bracing songs implore you to give in to them. And that's a rarity these days, especially in pop music.
Chris Klimek reviewed a November 2007 Georgie James performance for The Washington Post:
Retro-pop duo Georgie James is a cinch for the shortlist of Washington's most promising bands: Its full-length debut, "Places," is so addictive a confection it ought to be covered by the Controlled Substances Act, and its concerts have been hailed far beyond the District.
Friday night at the Black Cat, at what doe-eyed, honey-voiced singer/keys player Laura Burhenn said was their first hometown gig since their album's September release, the band -- core members Burhenn and singer/multi-instrumentalist John Davis, plus live ringers Andrew Black (drums), Paul Michel (guitar, vocals) and Michael Cotterman (bass; he's also a Washington Post employee, we must tell you) -- served up 45 affable minutes of '70s-inflected sonic sunshine, ably re-creating the Paul McCartneyesque hooks, Paul Simonesque harmonies and Paul Welleresque grooves of their record. But there was no added urgency, or humor, or grit, or any of the qualities that, when present, make a live show superior to listening at home.
To be fair, the largely (and typically) indifferent Black Cat crowd might not have been seeing their local heroes at full strength: Last month, the band canceled 10 shows because Davis was sick. That said, both halves of Georgie James were in fine voice; Burhenn, especially, showing off a becoming vocal huskiness that gave "Cake Parade" and "Long Week" a smokier feel than their recorded incarnations.
