Eleni Mandell's Miracle of Fiveis the lead review in the May/June Utne Reader, and
she is featured in Utne Podcast 25:
http://www.ogdenpubs.com/utnecast/?cat=2:

Music Reviews: The Unsung Singer
Eleni Mandell: Miracle of Five
�"By Staff, Utne Reader
Utne Reader May / June 2007 Issue

(Zedtone)

"You're my dear friend, where are you now? Aren't you worried how I am?" sings Eleni Mandell on one of the best tracks of her new album, Miracle of Five. You might read the line as a career statement. After all, in spite of six years and six albums of rave reviews, accolades from fellow musicians, and an all-star L.A. backup band (picked from the likes of X, Wilco, and Tom Waits), this singer-songwriter remains a secret indie jewel.

It would, nonetheless, be a misreading. For while Mandell shuffles through American musical genres languidly, she is no ironist. When she sings a country-western song or a jazz number, there's no wink. This lack of armor makes her sound as vulnerable as the last woman on earth.
Miracle of Five builds an utterly captivating, California world of simmering romance, hot nights, and desert winds. The album's primary instrument is Mandell's voice, which is sultry but catches sometimes in a way that sounds like a little kid playing at sultry. This album deserves a wide audience. Then again, when I hear Mandell's hushed voice whispering into my earbuds, I hope she stays my own little secret.
-- Joseph Hart