One-Night Stand-Pop Goes the Rendezvous-By Jeff DeRoche "When Reynolds sang, it was bright and pitch-perfect: the wail of a classic piano-pop frontman, with the rawness of Ziggy-era Bowie. When Reynolds screamed, it seemed as though the sound was being torn from his body...I want to see him play many shows, to remind Seattle how to have fun.

Dramatic songs played and sung with dramatic flair... they spin their ideas in loud, but intricate, mixes. There's a combination that always warms my heart. This one starts good and keeps getting better... by the middle of the disc I couldn't wait to get to the next song. Good sequencing is always appreciated in these quarters. Just another sign that these folks know exactly what they're doing. And doing it well.”

...Gary is as clever a pop tunesmith as can be. His songs sound familiar, to some extent, but it's hard to put the finger on where you've heard them before, with a few exceptions...

Gary's got the chops, the voice, and the songwriting talent to get and keep your interest, song after song... the lasting impression is great production, classy songwriting, and the vocal and playing chops to be great rock band, in this or any era.

Once or twice a year I am lucky enough to receive a CD from a singer unknown to me that knocks my mismatched socks off. This year, the name of that singer is Gary Reynolds, who leads a band in Seattle named the Brides of Obscurity...Starbucks and grunge rock were not the last cool things to come out of the Jet City.

He has the voice of a storyteller, a deep and soulful croon that exhibits an ability to turn a chorus into a moment of absolute magnificence on vocal strength alone. ...Mark it up as another great one for ‘08.

Talented bunch of out Seattle led by, none other than, Gary Reynolds. He has a flair for the dramatic with several piano flourishes, subtle guitar playing and expressive vocals. With the music industry the way it is they could be huge by tomorrow.

.. you`ll hear some of the strongest Sgt. Pepper influenced modern-day pop as you may have heard in a long time in a handful or two of the 14 songs here. You`ll hear plenty of Squeeze (that Beatle-thing again), early Michael Penn, Vinyl Kings .... Extremely Highly Recommended, yes, indeed--you knew that after reading those last few reviews, right?!"

He has a playful, accessible style that would make you want to listen to anything he sings ... I look forward to what Reynolds will be delivering in the future ... and I bet his live shows are ones to remember.

I love this CD. The sound and vocals remind me of a cross between Adrian Belew and a nasal voiced John Lennon. The music is very catchy and deceptively clean, which works perfectly with the wonderful vocals and great lyrics. The songs remind me of the great music of late '80s college radio.

Musically its a very interesting album. There are a wide variety of styles and/or influences. Its cinematic at times, straight ahead rock at others. Possibly the closest match is Supergrass with the same shared love of sixties influences and harmonies. And organ! There are musical twists and inflexions all over which keep the listener interested.

The first thing to love about singer-songwriter Gary Reynolds is that he sounds just like John Lennon. Just like him. The songs themselves continue the Lennon aesthetic of smart pop structures, keen, peppery musicianship and an easy, speak-sing voice that can go up or down to emphasize any point.

Over the past few years, a handful of justifiable pop/indie bands have emerged from the scene with smoothed out melodies...although Gary Reynolds & The Brides Of Obscurity may fall under this class, they simply do it better.... I think it’s safe to say, however, that these lovable goofballs have a bright future ahead of themselves, and I’m buying in.

Reynolds marries this sensibility to singer/songwriter lyrics, adding a bit of depth to songs like "Capital State" and "Everybody's Somewhere." The latter song in particular sounds like something NRBQ might have recorded back in the day, an easy floating pop song with quirky keyboards and a fun guitar part. Added harmony on the choruses, courtesy of the Brides of Obscurity, kicks everything into high gear.