False Positive

Individually the songs work well – lead single “Strike Up The Band” sums up the records compelling mix of folk and fuzz perfectly, “Small Part of Something Big” sounds like the soundtrack to a particularly haunting western and the abysmally titled first track, “Hasty Martyrs Sing Fantastic,” is positively dreamy and cautiously violent in all the right places....Mikulka is clearly a gifted songwriter and a unique sounding musician - eBurban

The radical politics and overall bizarreness are attractive, but some of the songs meander musically and seem underdeveloped. There are hauntingly cool lyrics throughout, with a handful of really cool tunes. The mix of folk, classic rock, and more aggressive contemporary styles works a lot of the time. - Razorcake

there are moments that are like rays of filtered sunshine shining on a TASCAM four track like it was a message from God. These moments are by far the best and even though they sound as they were recorded over spliced pieces of tape, there's a lot of heart and soul in those songs. "Strike Up The Band," is a perfect example as the horns, and choir, chime in on one gigantic chorus that will give you goosebumps. It's honest to God great lo-fi pop that's as optimistic as it gets - First Coast News

Mikulka has more than a few excellent pop hooks up his sleeve. “Strike up the Band” and “The Old Materials” have stay-gold, rabble-rousing sing-along choruses that offer a glint of hope in their delivery, but dissipate as soon as they are put into context. False Positive vacillates between excellent, shambling mid-90s indie rock and subdued folk tracks - Slug Magazine

Just about every track is played with a certain folk style music that injects snippets of Pink Floyd and maybe just a touch of The Beatles to the songs. Those snippets are short lived though, and lack the energy and know how of the previous mentioned bands. False Positive is what some would call “artsy” and yet some may call experimental. Whatever it is, it’s not mainstream, that’s for sure. So, if you‘re going to listen to it keep an open mind.

False Positive is not for everyone, but there will be people out there that call it brilliant, cutting edge and genius, but that is something for you to decide for yourself. If you buy it and love it, then more power to you. If you buy it and don’t like it at all? Well….you were warned.

Whatever the case may be, this album will most definitely leave you speechless and possibly even slightly uneasy. - Interstate Live

Mikulka’s sharp and barbed songwriting is matched by his firm grasp of catchy and compelling melodies, spare, yet tuneful arrangements, and haunting vocals. Moreover, there’s a strong feeling of pervasive anguish and despair and a welcome sense of restraint and subtlety which adds greatly to this album’s quietly shattering potency. An absolute powerhouse. - Jersey Beat

False Positive is a band that’s tough to categorize—which might, after all, be the point. The songs feature a constantly shifting soundscape of acoustic guitar strumming, organ lines, fuzzy stabs of distortion and the plaintive, lamenting vocals of frontman Justin Mikulka. Mikulka’s voice channels wistfulness with such effortless shakiness that one wonders if he could do anything else. As long as songs like “Hasty Martyrs Sing Fantastic” and “Strike Up the Band” are as good as they are, it hardly matters. - Pop Matters