Review Text
'Finding roots somewhere between the alt-country pop melodies of Ryan Adams and the beautiful banjo picking of Bella Fleck, Lo-Watt Radio's Crushing Plant EP is an eclectic mix of true folky pop gems and barn-burning boot stompers. Album opener "Empty Seat" is a perfectly crafted pop song with a fluttering organ hum that echoes, oddly enough, the Counting Crows, and stands out as the strongest song among a superb group of tracks. "Crushing Plant" takes it's time unfolding into a simmering, slow burning closer that never underwhelms, serving as the perfect soundtrack to summer nights spent sipping whiskey on the porch swing. It's tough not to get lost in the unabashed joviality of the album but underneath the fun is a band of talented musicians in synch with one another making music that deserves more ears than it will likely find.' -Tim Webb of Buzzbin Magazine 'This Akron band mines a mellow folk groove on this promising five-song EP. The opening track, 'Empty Seat,' is a jam-friendly tune that perfectly mixes mandolin, lap steel and organ. 'What You See' has a bit of a Barenaked Ladies vibe (not a criticism), and the more the guys turn up the twang, the better. 'The Visit' features ringing mandolins that play up the song's drama, and the stripped-down 'Crushing Plant' is a working-class song that could pass for a Billy Bragg ballad. -Jeff Niesel of Cleveland Scene Magazine.
