PRESS

"Your vocals kind of remind me a little bit of one of the guys in Dr. Dog's and Neil Young." -- Noel Nocciolo from Geekscape Music

"Drew Smith and his band, the Lonely Choir, create perfect pop classics that will warm the ears of Newman and Nilsson fans – and likely the fans of indie acts like Spoon and The Shins." --Austin Sound

"One of my favorite albums to come out of Austin this year, Drew Smith's Lonely Choir immediately sets itself up as manna for music geeks." -- Austin Chronicle

"I mean, he's got a song called "Nilsson Sings Newman" for chrissakes. Could there be a better fit for a "First Date"?" --The Vinyl District

Voted 1 Austin Record of 2008 --Austin.com

Voted 8 Texas Records of 2008 -- Houston Chronicle

"He's as capable of jaunty pop ('Follow Me down,' 'Diamonds') as he is of Van Morrison-style balladry ('Silver Pictures'), but his neatest trick is making it seamlessly his own sound." --Austin Chronicle

"Drew Smith's Lonely Choir has restored my faith in Austin somehow. It's smart pop, no doubt, but with an immediately recognizeable down-home vibe that strikes a free-spirit chord." --Houston Press

"One of my favorite albums to come out of Austin this year, Smith plays contrast with a mad scientists glee, pitting a bouncing Bacharach like piano against a weepy pedal steel on 'New Year's Day', strings and a banjo on 'NYC Song', sloppy bop-ba-da's bounce nicely against brass on 'Diamonds.'" -- Houston Chronicle

"Austinite Drew Smith's incredibly well-crafted lyrics; inventive melodies proffering pop, blues and even twang; some Sgt. Pepper's/Kinksian/post-Vaudeville flourishes; and a roster of well-known supporting players convey this is no first-timer's effort." --Texas Music Magazine

"Drew Smith's Lonely Choir is for anyone who loves Texas Country, classic pop songwriting, and any/all teeny-boppers who might normally piss on quality music that's outside their typical spectrum. Drew's music is supremely smile-inducing." --Dryvetyme Onlyne

"Sometimes lost in the roots-rock, alt-country sound that has come to typify Austin music is a handful of very, very good pop bands with chart-topping success, such as Spoon and Fastball. Such a band is Drew Smith's Lonely Choir. Smith is a self-described disciple of '70s pop, a sound that — on his new album — is freshly updated and beautifully delivered." --Blog Critics Review

"Smith has no intention of blowing your mind with over the top production or jaw-droppingly shocking lyrics. Instead, he writes perfectly-crafted pop songs that will make you happy, sad, lonely and hopeful, sometimes all in one song." --Atlanta Music Guide

" Drew Smith has carved a well-deserved place for himself and his brand of poppy, retro rock. His newest release, Drew Smith's Lonely Choir (Viro Records) is a saucy collection of rock songs buoyed by bluesy guitars, elegant strings, and truly soulful vocals that takes from many parts of the spectrum to create his unique, nuanced sound." --madeloud.com

"All sorts of other media have been singing their praise and it seems I am arriving late to the party. But, better late than ever. ." --Party Ends

"I have to be honest and say that I had not heard of this cat before today, but I am really impressed." --Omaha's The Grind

"Drew Smith has released three EPs and two full-length albums since he moved to Austin in 2002. As some have detected listening to the clever tunes on "Drew Smith's Lonely Choir," Smith is going through a bit of a Harry Nilsson phase right now, especially the groundbreaking "Nilsson Sings Newman." --Austin American Statesmen

In chronological order: grew up an Army brat, wharped the ribbon on a Moondance cassette tape, bought first guitar from 7th grade math teacher, learned Country Roads, first performance at the St. Francis of Assisi 1030am mass, joined a band in Omaha, cooked at a martini bar in Kansas City, moved to Austin, obsessed over Abbey Road for about a year, recorded an EP, assembled a band that never gets a chance to rehearse, learned that records are cheaper than compact discs, realized that God Only Knows is probably the prettiest song ever written, tricked Matt Russell into being the official musical arranger of the Drew Smith world, decided that the Can't Buy A Thrill album is a masterpiece, recorded "In the rain, In the sand, In the cold...we will love" and put it on credit, recorded the "To: You, From: Me" EP and "The People Sing La La La" EP and put those on credit, started singing some gang vocals with Dustin Welch's House Band, spent a lovely day in NYC and wrote a song about it, recorded "Drew Smith's Lonely Choir" at the beginning of 2008 and had it mastered by a wizard, current obsession with Harry Nilsson has lead to the development of a time machine that will transport to the exact moment the cover for "Nilsson Schmilsson" was being photographed.