The orchestra takes a more formal approach with Paul Bryan’s powerfully affecting score, hearkening back to the likes of Gil Evans and the late Phil Ochs. Burnished with lustrous horns and reeds bolstered by a string ensemble, the record marks a distinct shift as much for her record label as for Nina Nastasia herself. ‘Cry, Cry, Baby’ is a perfect vehicle for Nina’s stunning and masterful voice. A beautiful, stately slow-burn of a song, it sees her vocal swoop and fall in powerfully emotive ways that few of her peers can match, perfectly foiled by the incredibly impressive but unshowy musicianship. Deeply moving and mature, it’s simply very, very classy stuff. ALTSOUNDS.COM
Beautifully judged and as haunting as the penny-dreadful artwork, these songs are once more torn from a remarkable songwriting mind. -MOJO (read full review)
Here, on “Outlaster”, she’s got a rhythm section and a small orchestra of strings and woodwinds, arranged by Paul Bryan... Mr. Bryan applies the arrangements selectively, to discrete bits of the songs, which heightens the creepiness. -The New York Times
The Orchestra on “Outlaster” successfully cracks a window on Nastasia’s one-woman-and-guitar setup and shines a different, striking light onto her music. Pitchfork
Swathes of aural sumptuousness that are as technically impressive as they are swoonsome. Nastasia may well finally have the success to match her undeniably beguiling talent. AU
“Outlaster” 10 tracks are burnished by woodwind, string and horns, making for a kind of intricate chamber music, exemplified by the langorous “You Can Take Your Time’. -UNCUT
Her crepuscular songs wear woodwinds like funeral veils; violins circle like vultures; the pared-back lyrics whittle down stories to bare emotional bones. When she does unleash the diva within... the impact is amplified by the restraint elsewhere. -The Independent UK
A record full of space and intimacy, drawing the listener completely into it’s black-and-blue world. BBC
An achievement of staggering beauty by an artist of pervasive, quiet influence undergoing a sea change in musical form... - Themusicfix.co.uk
Paul Bryan provides the orchestral backing for Nastasia’s indomitable sixth album. It’s an album of subtleties that confirm, and then exceed, first impressions. Exclaim.ca
The arrangements are steeped in lushly orchestrated strings offering tension pulled taut: sweeping, sometimes angular and dissonant underpinnings that add adark theatricality to her lyrics. -Directcurrentmusic.com
Paul Bryan’s skillful arrangements insure that the power of Nastasia’s vocals are not lost amidst the lushness of the production. -last year’s girl
“Outlaster” is all of Nina and yet something more... (Paul Bryan’s) added a lushness to the record, coming on at times like Nick Drake’s master arranger Robert Kirby. -thelineofbestfit.com
This new record is a tour-de-force, simultaneously adding a new dimension to her sound and upping her (already high) game... the versatile arrangements scored by Paul Bryan. Strings and woodwinds are not simply foregrounded effectively but are utterly integral to the delivery and emotional impact of the songs as they swoop, twist and turn as forcefully as Nastasia’s voice. -follyfollyfolly.blogspot
The Orchestra on “Outlaster” successfully cracks a window on Nastasia’s one-woman-and-guitar setup and shines a different, striking light onto her music. Pitchfork