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I’m not sure if cardboard boxes have minds of their own, nor what sort of thoughts pass through them (“Let’s wait until he carries us over that puddle, then fall to bits?”), but the one in which Playback demos are kept seems to be smiling on me this month. Hotel Brown are a four-piece who combine the more stoned aspects of ’70s folk with lovely girl-group harmonies and some subtly updated arrangement touches. Their playing and singing is first-rate, and so too is the production. Live band performances were recorded as a basis for overdubbing, and although Hotel Brown rarely use a full drum kit, they create an impressively full sound. Whoever tracked and mixed it has done a great job with some challenging instruments, such as double bass and flute, and the mixes are excellent, too. Hotel Brown are not afraid to employ lavish doses of reverb and delay, along with more adventurous filter sweeps and auto-panning, but always for momentary effect rather than as a default. Effects and overdubs are rightly used to enhance performances that were well recorded in the first place, not to cover up flaws in the basic takes.
(Sam Inglis - Sound on Sound)

Built around the songs and excellent guitar work of Rory Garforth Hotel Brown marry west coast style harmonies to something a little darker. Describing themselves as “folk- noir”, there are certainly themes here that fit that bill-Gently Johnny, the one non-original comes from The Wickerman soundtrack for example. The chemistry of the players works really well and has been captured with great skill by Dave Angel’s production, which eschews any studio hocus pocus for as-it sounds singing and playing. With Niki Seegers, Emma Johnstone and Rory’s voices weaving the spells, the soundscape is deceptively simple and the arrangements are at times astonishingly detailed. Most of the nine tracks are over five minutes long, giving scope to develop the atmospheres and textures. Anyone of the tracks could be picked and highlighted, but it’s also a record that needs to be taken in one sitting, revealing its delights in slow rolling waves. An outstanding debut beautifully realised.
(Propaganda Magazine)

Their website namechecks Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and the Mamas And The Papas, but this Yorkshire troupe are more than just a Hotel California franchise. A DNA of creamy feamale harmonies, Espers meets Morricone whistling and the jazz limber beetle and whir of Rory Garforth's guitar makes for an intriguing, soporific whole. Almost without exception GArforth's songs are finely plotted and carefully textured, brimful with space, melody and the warmth of a 70's production. With Wickerman homage now obligatory for nu-folkies, an impressively sensual Gently Johnny plays as one of the era's better covers, fading out on quills of sombre cello. Nor is that the limit of thier soundtrack fetish, carrying over at least some of the cinematic verve from percussionist Keith Angels job in the Angel Brothers. Soundbites like 'a 21st century pentangle' may be a touch premature, but Hotel Brown are light-flighty enough to endure.
(Brendon Griffin - HMV Choice Magazine)

"Hotel Brown are something of a leading light for the new acoustic movement" - (Metro)

"There is plenty of room for a host of musical influences to check into Hotel Brown" - (Sheffield Star)

"A truly wonderful and gorgeous sounding record" (John Shaw - Radio Nottingham)

"Superb! they sound like a 21st centuary Fifth Dimension. (Ian Mcmillan - BBC Radio 3/4)

"There is a wealth of talent amongst the performers which is evident not only in song writing and performance, but also in the arrangements and production" (Independant review)

Hotel Brown are an oak that we've watched grow from a little acorn. The promising sapling of the early singles has grown into a magnificent and solid album. To flourish it needs good roots and you don't get roots that go deeper than well written songs. The crown stretches wide and high as tight arrangements and vocal dexterity takes those songs in and out of the darkness. "Do You See Devils" just sets the trunk quivering. With vocal duties shared between genders, Hotel Brown have so many options. The result is an album that constantly surprises and delights. (Fatea-records.co.uk)