The Washington Post.com

By Joe Heim

It can't be easy being a singer-songwriter and playing in bars and lounges where you're not even sure if the crowd is listening to you. But audiences would be well advised to listen closely to Chrissy Coughlin, a local singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice that reminds you of a cross between Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, and Natalie Merchant. That's an impressive trio to be compared with, but Coughlin is a gifted artist and her songwriting is top notch. "Hallelujah", a song she wrote addressing Sept. 11th, is as good as any written about the aftermath of that horrible day.