Before the Machine

release date: June 7, 2024.

Her first solo LP, Waterlines, was released March 26, 2021, to rave reviews:

  • With a rich vocal timbre, the Bay Area’s Zoe FitzGerald Carter’s 10-cut beauty of an LP Waterlines is assured & catchy. Some folk, funk & storytelling, it’s a well-produced set. On 'Below the Waterline,' Zoe sounds like she’s channeling the songwriting style of Nanci Griffith thru a Mary Chapin Carpenter tone.

    John Apice, Americana Highways

  • Zoe’s impressive acoustic guitar-picking is evident, and the songs on the record are delivered in a variety of styles that highlight their spirited lyrics and her often-ironic sense of humor.

    East Bay Express

  • A haunting spirit and a cinematic backdrop to a very articulate and vocally diverse album.

    Take Effect

  • A profound depth of feeling is conveyed through Zoe’s lyrical and literary songwriting combined with her masterful and understated performances throughout the album. Zoe creates vignettes set to music, hinting at deeper stories and not completely revealed, as all good short stories do.

    Noteworthy

  • The album has the heart-tugging, tightly produced feel of Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Randy Newman, Lowell George and Little Feat and the other great LPs of that decade.

    David Talbot, San Francisco journalist

  • A beguiling set of songs exploring stylistic territory beyond her Americana comfort zone.

    Berkeleyside

  • There is no shortage of atmosphere and fun with this album, Waterlines, the second but not the last by language and music virtuoso Zoe FitzGerald Carter. We notice similarities with the work of folk singers such as Mary Black and Joni Mitchell.

    Rootstime.BE

  • Zoe takes me on a journey where my thoughts go to Joni Mitchell and Eva Cassidy. The title track Below the Waterline is a gem that in all its simplicity gives me goosebumps and a lump in my throat.

    Knut Olav Halseth, Min musiccblogg

  • Zoe’s writing talent is boundless. Her stories captivate even before you add the music. Each song is like a film. It takes you on a journey. And her voice is mesmerizing – crystalline, clear and cool.

    Producer Jeffrey Wood, Fantasy Records

  • Zoe's training as a journalist and her experiences in the U.S. and abroad have given her words that resonate vividly and musical instincts that carry you along the journey.

    John Platt, WFUV DJ