HOLD THE FRONT PAGE...Press Quotes etc.
“Twelve Best Folk Music Albums of 2015:
★★★★ Inventive and engaging album... Findlay Napier (the sweet voice behind the beard)... an original engaging treat."
Martin Chilton, The Telegraph
"Songs full of earthy humour, hopeless love and biting satire… more ‘Michael Marra meets Elvis Costello’ than contemporary tradition.”
★★★★★ Folk Radio UK
“Genuine songcraft and wit following in the Difford & Tilbrook tradition”
The Sunday Herald
"Napier’s stagecraft is charmingly relaxed and cultivates an engrossed and interested audience."
Ravechild, Peter Johnstone
" ★★★★ stories are simply yet cleverly told with sharp arrangements"
Dave Esson, The Daily Express
“Clever lyrical lines, interesting contemporary, semi-acoustic, rocking arrangements… courageous and creatively skilled.” ★★★★
Scotland on Sunday
"melody led and full of irresistible hooks that capture your attention on the first listen, but the real meat is in the lyrics – this is storytelling and character portraits of the highest order."
Fish Record's Review
"...there’s an element of the joy of discovery about the whole album. Without setting the world alight with in your face approach, it’s a slow burner of a record which through the subject matter slowly seeps into the consciousness."
Sonic Bandwagon, Mike Ainscoe
"Check out opener Hedy Lamarr, The Man Who Sold New York and the lovely The Sport Of Kings, just a few of the acoustic gems on offer
here. A heady musical brew indeed."
Liverpool Echo, Kim Mayo
"A delightful listen and I found myself hitting up Wikipedia after each song to learn more and getting more and more out of the album than I expected.... Excellent stuff and constantly rewarding."
Musicnews.com, Andy Snipper
“★★★★ One of the most intriguing and enjoyable albums… a collection of cracking songs that all add up to a cracking album… his voice has a mesmerising addictive quality to it… fabulous arrangements and very classy production… It’s brave creative and a smashing listen”
Maverick Magazine
"An album based around a splendid idea... The quality of the performances are uniformly superb...clear synergy, lovely arrangements and beautiful musicianship."
Living Tradition Magazine
"the songs are all easy on the ear and quick to embed themselves, and if you like Boo [Hewerdine's] output (and what’s not to like?), this album will nestle comfortably in your collection. Napier has an album that marries musicality with individuality, hits the sweet spot early and keeps giving ‘til the end..”
Paul Woodgate, Folk Radio UK
“★★★★ ... a craking good concept... charmingly reverent folk-acoustic collection."
The List, Rachel Devine
"Weird."
The Sunday Mail
“ ★★★★ Album of the Week: Napier is a warm, witty and engaging singer with a real gift for melody" The Sunday Express
“Splendid contemporary songcraft and punchy roots-rock arrangements”
The Herald
"★★★★ ★ [VIP is arguably the first sensational album of 2015 to be fully deserving of full marks all round.
Attention grabbing from the start, [VIP] is a full on, crowd pleasing, demon of an album. Caress with care, as out of the ordinary people don’t come along all that often."
Liverpool Sound and Vision, David D. Hall
“Raising the IQ of Scottish song writing whilst cleverly packaging it as a descendant of luminaries of Deacon Blue or even the Blue Nile. It’s a worrying thing to say but he might just be too good for the mass market...more rock ‘n’ roll than fifty shitty indie rock bands. Fact!”
Blues Bunny Review
"Songs uniquely Scottish and come broadly from the folk tradition, but they have as much in common, (and probably more) with the settings, biting lyrics and black humour of Elvis Costello and Loudon Wainwright as they do the thoughtful storytelling and delivery of modern Scottish folk acts such as Karine Polwart and Emily Smith."
Fish Records Review
"ALBUM OF THE YEAR... Apart from a couple of fine traditional arrangements, it is the songwriting and voice of Findlay Napier that makes this album special. Some may call it contemporary, but it is a beautiful amalgam of Scottish soul, funk and folk. Findlay’s voice is as warm and comfortable as a well-worn leather jacket.Out All Night is an awesome album." Irish American Times
"I recommend this album, well worth investigating. Splendid stuff!"
Gideon Coe BBC Radio 2,
Bob Harris Sunday
"He's good and he's really funny too! He's got that classic brilliant banter with the audience as well. Lovely to hear the storytelling in the songs as well as inbetween. A wonderful cacophony of bizarre and brilliant tales of real people." Edith Bowman- BBC Quay Sessions
"An utterly brilliant album" Bruce MacGregor- BBC Radio Scotland, Travelling Folk
"A fascinating album of great songs" Mike Harding- Mike Harding Folk Show
"VIP is nothing less than a pleasure, from start to finish. Contemporary folk at its finest."
Sonic Abuse
“As soon as the opening chords of this album come crashing out of your speakers, you know that your ears are in for a treat. The songs are full of energy. A really exciting listen, and a band worth looking out for.”
Bright Young Folk
"This is a sharp and dryly humorous meditation on life. For some, these tales may produce a smirk of recognition, others a shudder, either way you'll be entertained for sure."
Spiral Earth
"[VIP] is idiosyncratic, informative and well worth a listen "
Shire Folk, Jon Bennett
"There's a great knack to what Findlay does, writing tunes that could come across as MOR in lesser hands, but investing them with verve and vigour and more hooks than a cloakroom. With the aforementioned Mr Folds having lost his way slightly recently, it may well be time for Findlay to step up and take his place. The future of caustic radio friendly pop is in good hands."
Russell's Reviews
