"Seattle's Aveo has been dogged by comparisons to the Smiths since its inception, and so to succumb to the easy comparison: Its just-released Battery is the record the new Morrissey album should have been. Paranoid and timid where the other is swollen with self-involvement, its principle preoccupation is with questions that are larger and darker than simple romantic misfortune. Over a loose jangle of chords, vocalist William Wilson tugs restlessly at the fibers that comprise his being. Fittingly, both records contain a song that addresses a higher power directly. But where Moz's long, deep look into the spiritual well ultimately ends up reflecting his own sour face, Aveo's culminates in a terrifying vulnerability. As his confrontation of a capricious deity evolves into a realization of his own awful mortality, Wilson is ultimately forced to look away, quietly and fearfully confessing: "I'm not ready." Romantic? No. Just honest."  (Philadelphia Weekly)

"If Donnie Darko had a sequel, Aveo could make a strong case for scoring the soundtrack ... Battery conjures up an especially dramatic tracking shot fading into credits."  (Devil In The Woods)

"This Seattle trio enjoyed some local success with the release of their debut album, “Bridge to the Northern Lights”, in 2001. And now they seemed poised to take on the rest of the world with their follow up, “Battery”. But will the rest of the world make them as household of a name as their label mates, and one time touring partners, Death Cab For Cutie? You know what?… yeah ... For a sophomore release, Aveo have given the world an album to listen to in the dark, one to digest slowly and deliberately. Which is something that has been lacking of late. Most albums are in for the quick payday. While they might be a cohesive record, they usually date themselves quite easily. Aveo on the other hand have released an album that you could find yourself listening to ten years down the line… and still enjoying it just as much as the first time you heard it play."  (Indie Workshop)

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