"it’s evident from the studied and confident stance of when i was blonde that brian seymour is no newcomer to the diy game. couched within the framework of a superbly produced album are 10 intense, finely honed songs that show seymour to be a writer of serious vision in the vein of david gray, paul westerberg and elvis costello in his ability to embed intelligent, incisive snapshots of thought in a crafty pop song. the philly songwriter has been doing this quite effectively since 1996 and has five full-length solo releases and one ep under his belt. and there’s more where that came from."

the performing songwriter - june 2004

"during the diy screening process, a mind-boggling number of cds pass
hands through performing songwriter's editorial offices. this cd arrived
at my desk with a note stuck to the front proclaiming, "he's good!" and
signed by most of the staff. like any self-respecting music journalist
(oxymoron?), i was naturally suspicious. however, by halfway through the
opening track "always leaving," i grudgingly admitted that they were
right and happily embraced seymour's music. well-crafted without
succumbing to preciousness, witty without stooping to irony, seymour's
songs are as intelligent and biting as they come. when i was blonde
calls to mind westerberg's eventually, as well as a little abandoned
pools and a smidge of ryan adams (the better part). the 10 songs on
this release are airtight in their arrangements, concise and straightforward
in their lyrics-plus they sound damn fantastic. literate and lyrical, this is one to get."

the performing songwriter - november 2003

"from president springsteen to treasurer mellencamp, working class guitar heroes local 732 has excelled at ambiguous odes to the teenage glory years. brian seymour, the union's scratchy-voiced philadelphia representative, upholds the tradition. on memories of high school, seymour wonders, how did we ever survive the best years of our lives? not a new sentiment for those of us who went through school knowing that things would get better because they couldn't get worse, but it's good to hear all the same. like three of when i was blonde's other standouts, memories appeared on a previous seymour album. the singer/songwriter, who now splits his time between los angeles and new york, widens his horizons with the best new compositions, judas kiss and old soul, whose marriage of modern rock and orchestral touches would sound at home alongside coldplay and our lady peace on y100."

philadelphia citypaper, may, 2003

this is one artist that is lyrically fine-tuned.

"before you convince yourself that 'true' music evaporated when MTV emerged, consider a listen to semyour's artistic endeavors."

girlything.com, 2003

"here's a disc that grows and grows on you. i always think the real substantial stuff does that! brian seymour is a true and unique artist, with a very american roots rock bent, amongst a refined sense of musicality and song craftsmanship. david gray fans will warm to this, but then again so will springsteen and jacob dylan freaks. well worth delving!"

a&r online, december 02

"i love the raspy vocals and sampled techno pop flavor seymour deploys on songs like "memories of high school"[sic] and "little one," first cousins to all the sensitive guy stuff david gray's been up to lately. also intriguing - seymour's contrast of inner and outer voices on the jilted lover's lament "cassandra" and a title track that's wry and propulsive in a robyn hitchcock kinda way."

jonathan takiff, philadelphia daily news, december 00

"he is a necessary antidote to the lame (yet strangely popular)
anemic singer-songwriters who try to hit you over the head
softly with cliched angst and crude guitar plucking."

www.usedwigs.com, november 01

"seymour conveys a set of shockingly good songs that contiguously set him in the company of some of the finest writers working today. it is a compliment of the highest order to say that seymour compares most favorably to the early peter case solo work. his voice has the same knowing quality and his phrasing, writing, and acoustic work all echoes the best work of case. but seymour also fuels his approach with a spiritual soulfulness that displays a range of interests crossing a whole mess of boundaries. it's a shocking confidence that belies such a youthful talent, but it's also a fine introduction to a talent that will deepen as it grows."

kurt hernon, www.bangsheet.com, april 01

"keep an eye on this one, there's something just too real and raw here to be passed over."

tonos demo derby, www.tonos.com, april, 01

"described as dylanesque or even springsteenian, brian seymour is attracting more and more attention for his songwriting prowess. but to compare him to great songwriters of prior generations would be misleading, as it implies that seymour's music is anachronistic. his sound -- at least, since he has attracted major-label attention -- is updated with dance beats and cool organs. originally a philly guy, brian attracts a huge crowd in boston and new york as well. if you see him now, you can call him a sellout in five years when you see him on mtv."

joey key, digital city philadelphia, february 2001

"seymour is without doubt a talented singer and songwriter. his distinctive voice, evocative, intelligent lyrics blend easily with his instinctive pop sensibilities. more david gray than david wilcox, 'a thousand tarzans' deserves to be heard".

steve hill, program coordinator, aei music networks, january 01

"on a thousand tarzans seymour evokes a male beth orton."

johnny swartz, www.brainpuppy.com, january 01

"a thousand tarzans is stronly recommended!"

songwriter's monthly, december 00

"brian seymour has recorded one of the best sounding discs from a local artist that we've ever received at Y100. the songs are strong, the production and performances are up to major label quality, and he seems to have the talent to bust out in a big way."

jim mcguinn, pd, Y100, september 99

"brian's sound is something like springsteen, dylan, wallflowers. very hardy with sharp lyrics."

gary savelson, www.demodiaries.com, may 99

"from his early acoustic based material to the more exciting new pop leaning songs, brian is a musical force to be reckoned with both locally and nationally."

bruce warren, program director, wxpn philadelphia, jan 99

"brian's songs are filled with imagery; every one's like a little movie."

scott bricklin, producer, rocker, jan 99

"genuine artistry that is warm, human, and well educated."

independent songwriter web magazine, aug 98

"seymour's sound is a blend of the complex and simple, the conceptual and the heartfelt."

montgomery county newspapers, may 98

"his gravelly vocal style and varied tempos compose the sorts of songs that reach into the soul."

geoff wilbur's renegade newsletter, may 98

"a man who performs songs that stick with you."

aei music, february 98

"brian's musical approach is bold, punchy, introspective. there are some great hooks in these songs."

mixx magazine, jan 98

"one of the best philadelphia artists' recordings to appear in '97 was brian seymour's the big house, packing in rock and folk with personal, moving lyrics that you can relate to or just plain laugh out loud when you hear them..."

trishy, www.groovelingo.com, january 98

"not just a skillful lyricist and tunesmith, seymour is also blessed with a distinctively raspy voice..."

philadelphia daily news, august 97

"...seymour is an artist quickly finding himself, and this album points to a long career of fine music."

rockpile, july 97

"if this album doesn't get brian a deal, i'll go bush! the big house is a stunning blend of production, heart, soul and hooks!"

songwriter's monthly, june 97

"brian seymour is an exciting new voice in the singer/songwriter community."

wxpn philadelphia, may 97

"the big house is to brian seymour what 'sugar mountain' was to neil young."

philadelphia weekly, may 97

"seymour crafts songs full of yearning, youth, and heart."

suburban and wayne times, may 97

"clearly attracted to the emotional overload of malcontents like bob dylan and bruce springsteen, but far from being derivative, the philadelphia-based artist takes a familiar deck of cards and deals out a new game."

the times herald, february 97

"though he may have the face and jawbone of david lynch's long-lost son, brian seymour uses his java-stained voice and similarly ashen guitar style to good effect, creating in this album an unmistakable aura of a 'thinking man's john c. mellencamp'..."

cups, the cafe culture magazine, december 96

"seymour has a slightly gruff and very likable voice."

the performing songwriter, oct 96

"the combination of seymour's edgy and earthy vocals with his right hand driven acoustic playing is quite a hefty dose of fresh air."

the university reporter, february 96