"Sykes and Wandscher alight their songs' hard experience with a sweet surrender that nods to the troubled undercurrents of life while heading for higher ground. Wandscher's moody guitar creates a subtly shifting atmosphere of countrified folk-noir; Sykes' exquisite voice is front-and-center, suggesting a cross between Emmylou Harris and a haunted Bobbie Gentry."  (No Depression)

"**** - It's a foregone conclusion that the No Depression set will flip over this nearly flawless debut from former members of Whiskeytown, Hominy, and Citizen's Utilities. What's less clear is when the buzz will catch on with fans of evocative, slow-tempo indie bands like Low, Catpower, and the Mojave 3. There's no denying that this is a country-folk album: Sykes' husky alto embodies the wise, weary warmth of a classic rural storyteller, and those traits are easily magnified by Bruce Wirth's spooky accents of banjo and lap steel and the graceful presence of violinist Anne Marie Ruljancich. But the overall tone doesn't fit neatly into a country niche, primarily because of guitarist Phil Wanderscher's contributions and Sykes' broader pop sensibilities. Listening to the bleak, beautiful, distorted guitar shudders on the title track's introduction or the sorrowful, Throwing Muse-y refrains on "Don't Let Me Go," no one can accuse these kids of operating strictly by the alt-country playbook."  (Stranger)

"4 stars **** - Featuring ex-Whiskeytown guitarist Phil Wandscher, who together with Ryan Adams wrote much of their Strangers Almanac album, this classy debut showcases Jesse Sykes's rich, assured alto. It's a melancholic record in which hearts get broken quicker than Subbuteo men, but the spare, banjo-and-slide-guitar-infused arrangements have a seductive power which lovers of country gothic will find irresistible. The title track is particularly potent; Wandscher's tremoloed guitars form part of an arrangement that's as sultry as Betty Blue emerging from a heat-haze. The whole album has a dreamlike quality, and Sykes's songwriting credentials are never in doubt."  (Q)

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