Autumdivers

"from the ethereal opening soundscape that introduces their just released album, autumdivers add layer upon layer of lush, atmospheric sounds that are brought to a climax with the 17-minute finale of “star crossed.” that self-contained, multi-faceted opus reminds one of an early pink floyd vinyl where you could just crash and groove to an entire side without interruption, or without expenditure of anything more stressful than rolling another fat one. but preceding that are such decidedly modern delights as the spatial flight of “amend,” the up-tempo, acoustic rhythms of “i still feel” and the haunting and memorable riff of “inasmuch.” that one is a highlight here and also when we saw them at a recent cbgb’s lounge show." - neon NYC

"autumdivers play with dichotomy the way barry bonds plays with a bat. on its eponymous sophomore release, the rochester, n.y., trio balances the experimentalism of radiohead with the accessibility of u2; the vaporous beauty of jeff buckley with the concrete pop power of coldplay and the shoegazing intensity of my bloody valentine with the aggressively ambient meandering of brian eno. the beauty of autumdivers’ presentation is the band’s ability to spike its sonic profile with elements of prog rock, reggae, dream pop and a half dozen other related genres, grafting it artfully onto its own signature sound, allowing the listener to briefly acknowledge the familiar reference points before folding them into their own singular sound. autumdivers fashion a lushly dense backdrop while projecting delicate musical shadow plays on its surface, thereby making smart and infinitely enjoyable indie prog, something not heard since the genre’s ‘7os heyday. and that’s an accomplishment worth noting.., and hearing. " - brian baker

"rochester new york’s autumdivers play an engaging, yet familiar brand of spacey mid-tempo guitar pop that is equal parts shoegaze and melodically-driven brit pop. this, the band’s second full-length release, is laden with dreamy guitar textures and hypnotic beats that, at times, recall the house bands that put manchester on the back in the late 8o’s/early 90’s. while many tracks like “turnaround” and “disappearing act” adopt a repetitive, melodic pattern with reverb-drenched guitar textures that evoke the early 80’s sound of the church and u2, the band is equally comfortable paying homage to contemporaries such as radiohead and coldplay on more experimental and emotive tracks like “get me out.” vocalist gregory paul’s smooth tenor blends well with the band’s languishing beats and spacey arrangements and drummer aaron boucher and bassist tony wensel provide a solid rhythmic backbone to the band’s beat-driven sound. while notable differences in sound quality and production are predominant early on in the album, the autumdivers show their musical chops in crafting a consistent album of lush, spacey pop music." - jeff shelton

"edgy experimental pop that will no doubt draw comparisons to radiohead’s more atmospheric moody pieces emanates from the speakers setting coarse to your soul via the ear canals. But unlike radiohead, autumdivers won’t scare off the more timid music listeners with this affinity to write the perfect pop song. skirting the line between so many different influences and styles, there’s simply no way you could ever pin autumdivers down." - j-sin

"think galaxie 500 with more juice; think british '90s pop with a shade less shoegazing" - fran fried

"a hybrid of atmospheric ambience and powerful acoustics" - billboard magazine

"stacked with soaring vocals and ethereal shoegazey melodies, the music on autumdivers’ debut could easily trick you into assuming they’re british—but count the rochester, new york three-piece as one of a few american bands channeling the lush britpop sound well enough to fool you. what sets the band apart from their british peers is frontman gregory paul’s acoustic guitar: in his hands, it gives the broad sonic landscape of autumdivers’ music an organic warmth." - cmj

"autumdivers has a distinct shoegazer feel throughout, with nuances of reggae. think coldplay with some green day-style acoustics interspersed. the album is a solid accomplishment. the music is fresh, without a hint of the "woe is me" syndrome that so many bands have come down with... whether you're a teenager looking forward to college or an adult looking back on it, you're likely to enjoy the autumdivers' music because it's a reprieve from whiny prose and a push in the direction of a positive mental outlook." - genevieve houck

"this cd far surpasses past outings, with songs that go beyond beautiful soundscapes to become catchy symphonies of melody as well. tracks like "i still feel" is especially ripe for radio with happy hooks played with energetic abandon and sung in heavenly fashion by gregory paul (often bringing to mind the luscious vocal work of the late, great jeff buckley). the autumdivers swing their sound from delicate to powerful on the turn of a dime, always with a knowing wink to the british school of rock" - michelle picardo

"... over to the bug jar for the autumdivers' multi-media CD release extravaganza. the band was great and the packed room, enthusiastic. their dynamics work in an ever-building continuum of atmospheric tension and release --- they continuously draw you in, even when you feel you're as far as you can go. what a great original band" - frank de blasé