PRESS QUOTES

PRAISE FOR PALE WHITE BRANCHES:

“Excellent. 4/5.”
Scottish Daily Express

“Stellar songwriting. 4/5.”
Is This Music?

“An album of the year contender upon first listen.”
Rockin’ The Suburbs

“Not just intriguing, but insightful, not only beautiful, but hauntingly spectacular… this is the music of a musician in the prime of his career. 8.5/10.”
Liverpool Sound & Vision

“Howie has struck up a brilliant balance on this album, making sure every song has purpose. His empathetic songwriting is what really sets it apart from the rest. 8/10.”
Maverick Magazine

“A stunning selection of songs… a great album.”
Scots Whay Hae!

“Does not disappoint.”
Americana UK

“These pale white branches hold green shoots of memories that comfort and of hopes of rebirth.”
Folking.com

“Sharp, beautiful and intriguing.”
Spirit Rocks

“A set of very strong songs… anthemic delivery of sharp lyrics… superb pop sensibilities… intelligent lyrics… Andrew Howie delivers powerful guitar rock and aching Blue Nile ballads you can lose yourself in.”
Fatea

“A record to come back to, especially when spirits are in need of a lift.”
Northern Sky

4/5
Rock n Reel Magazine

“Andrew Howie is a talented individual with the ability to tell powerful stories.”
Blues Matters

A ‘Record of Note’
The Roddy Hart Show, BBC Radio Scotland

FOR EARLIER WORK:

“… intriguing and beautiful… an album that is both fragile, gentle and beguiling yet robust and striking in its beauty”
Dancing About Architecture

“Recorded entirely on an Alesis Micron synthesizer – a compact instrument, whose range of futuristic sounds seems to be the perfect companion for Howie’s distinctive vocal.”
The Scotsman

“Keep the edges rough, the result rougher, and you get closer to the heart of it. Closer to the truth. That’s what Solo Guitar Loops 1 does.”
Tiny Mix Tapes

“A mix of beautiful acoustic tracks and inventive electronica, filled with insightful lyrics of loneliness and self-doubt. 4/5”
Scottish Daily Express

“Howie’s rich and warm vocals are the standout feature of the album, nestling comfortably on top of sparse acoustic guitars and modest electro twitches and tweaks. It’s an album that feels pretty comfortable and confident in its own skin… there’s a lot to like on The Great Divide…there’s talent on show here and if you like taking things at a slower pace, you’ll find plenty to be pleased with this album.”
Is This Music?

“With his newfound case of ‘the drones’, Howie recontextualized his music away from something aiming toward mass appeal, reflecting instead an inner vulnerability expressed only through wordless meditation. The tones he generates over the entire tape are gorgeous, angelic, fragile, ready to wisp away when you’re not paying attention.
 Cassette Gods 

 “Andrew Howie belongs in that small band of clever singer-songwriters who write sharp, beautiful songs (Ed Harcourt, David Ford, Tom McRae to name a few)… ‘Retreat’ with Jo Mango show how good this young Scot is.”
Scottish Sunday Express

“Scars Are Like A Beacon has a lot of impact, and a good amount to say. Howie his repurposed his initial inspirations into tracks that beg a deep listen. No small sound is wasted, and the flow between passive and active pieces is perfectly managed. A solid release I’ll be coming back to often.”
Hypnagogue

“Dreamy… gently hooks you in…soaring… a real stand out.”
Sunday Mail

“… excellent songs…with rave reviews for his previous albums, this record should be no different as the quality which seems to have pleased the critics before is certainly present here.”
Maverick Magazine

“An album which is at once confusing and mysterious, but an intriguing and brilliantly realised effort.”
Is This Music?

“Comprising quiet bits, noisy bits, and a smattering of electronica, it’s a more ‘proper-song’ led affair than previous outings where his use of texture was given foreground. Any fans of American Music Club, Elliott Smith or Sparklehorse should find much to love in his heartworn tunes.”
Shout4Music

“Nothing short of amazing, brilliant and absorbing…”
New Reviews

“The world needs mavericks like Calamateur….this latest offering is typically brimming with invention and considerable skill…it’s utterly engaging and heartfelt…”
The List

“…nothing short of brilliantly absorbing…”
Is This Music?

“…stunning… a work of beauty…what took Snow Patrol’s 3 albums and 4 people to accomplish, Calamateur’s Andrew Howie manages straight off with songs of desolate beauty underpinned with a savage hope…”
John Earls, Planet Sound

“…the aim is true and the heart is strong in this beautiful little record. 4/5.”
The List

“…providing one of those moments where your head says nothing really out of the ordinary happening here but your heart suggests otherwise,trembling as if touched by something altogether magical….”
Losing Today

“…writes as though guided by voices, massaging his words through a voice as swoonsome and melancholic as the finest american roots singers…ideal for late night listening, even at lunchtime. 4/5.”
Logo Magazine

“…nothing short of brilliantly absorbing…the stark production only adds to an impressive set of eerie ‘folk’ tunes.” –
Is This Music?

“…bloody good…”
– The List

“…the songs…pack a real emotional resonance…high quality music…”
Diskant.net

“…full of uplifting beats, textured samples and heartbreaking simplicity…exudes confidence and quality in equal measure.”
whisperinandhollerin.co.uk