"Nathan (Moore) has collaborated with some real heavyweights and comers (notably, The Slip and Big Light) but co-producer Bryan Elijah Smith may be the best creative foil he’s ever had. The instrumentation and mix are just right, and no hand is played too hard or obviously, the tunes flowing as gracefully as a creek over stones, breaking on the shore with a sigh and then moving ever-onward.."
- Dennis Cook, Writer/Reviewer - dirtyimpound.com (Feb 14, 2011)
Scott Bernstein
"Late at night and into the early morning, you could always find Moore holding court on the deck near the Jam Room with his extremely talented songwriting partner Bryan Elijah Smith."
-Scott Bernstein, Writer/Reviewer - glidemagazine.com (Feb 10, 2011)
"I had the good fortune to meet Bryan when he entered our Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Songwriting Contest, which by the way, he won. But forget about the contest for a moment. Bryan is a phenomenal young talent. He’s a fine performer, with a wonderful voice, and he can pick a guitar like nobody's business. But it's his songwriting that amazes me. Rarely will you find a man this young, whose lyrics are so rich, thoughtful, and penetrating. Bryan is the real deal. I’ve booked him for the 2010 Shenandoah River Songfest, an invitation-only event. I can’t wait for our crowd to hear him. If you're looking for great songwriting, smooth vocals, and guitar prowess, book him if you're an agent. If you're simply a music fan, go to one of his shows, and buy his CD. The kid is great."
- Pops Walker, Singer/Songwriter, and host of: Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Blues Bash, Shenandoah River Songfest & Shenandoah Valley Acoustic Roots Fest - Luray, VA (Nov 2009)
"He played an hour and a half of his own tunes and few classics form Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan...I think he sold everyone in the room a 17 song CD of his own tunes and even got up for a 5 song encore... Don't miss out on this kid.... he really is something."
- John Kelly, Hideaway Cafe (owner), Singer/Songwriter - Saint Petersburg, FL (Jul 06, 2009)
"xoxo g"
- Gillian Welch, comment left by Gillian on www.myspace.com/bryanelijahsmith (Feb 12, 2009) ,
"Smith's soft, ragged vocals sound like a Ryan Adams-meets-Bob Dylan impersonation done just right. Musically, Smith uses elements of rock, alt-country and dirty folk to create a soft and melodic Americana sound..."
-Matthew Godbey, The Post and Courier for Charleston, SC (Oct 15, 2009)
"Young Phenom"
-Mockingbird Roots Music Hall, mockingbird123.com - Staunton, VA (Dec, 2009)
"A Prolific Songwriter"
- Tina Owens, WMRA Acoustic Cafe – Harrisonburg, VA (Jan 30, 2010)
“Let it pour on me, darlin’, let it roll like the thunder cries" Virginia singer-songwriter Bryan Elijah Smith huskily drawls in the title track off his 2010 alt-Americana LP, which is threaded with strains of fiddle, mandolin, banjo and acoustic guitar, and was written, recorded and produced by Smith in his home studio with backing by musicians Jeff Miller and Jay Austin."
- Leilani Polk, Creative Loafing Newspaper - Tampa, FL (Jun 11, 2011)
“Get the cd, and go see Bryan Elijah Smith and the Wild Hearts when they play live in your area. Local music rocks and these guys are at the top!”
- WXJM Live, James Madison University's Radio Station – Harrisonburg, VA (Mar 25, 2011)
"Bryan Elijah Smith hails from Dayton, Virginia and has an eclectic range of influences making his sound a very original derivative of mainstream American folk music."
- “A Renaissance Event for the Heart of NYC” (www.Paul-Kelleher.com) (Apr 02, 2009)
"...excellent example of a working/traveling musician that can work a crowd on an 'off' night in a venue..."
- Kathleen McMahan, Town Pump Tavern - Black Mountain, NC (Nov 18th, 2009)
"When I heard his stuff on line, I knew his sound and style would be perfect but I had no idea how talented a writer and gifted a voice he really is and has. From the moment he sang his first tune at sound check...I was hooked. "
- John Kelly, Hideaway Cafe (owner), Singer/Songwriter - Saint Petersburg, FL (Jul 06, 2009)
"Bryan Elijah Smith was simply incredible at the Mockingbird tonight. The real deal! A “BLUES MAN” in Folk's clothing..."
- Steve E Talley, host of The Shenandoah Blues Festival – Staunton, VA (Mar 26, 2010)
“The Valley's own Troubadour”
- Claire Myers, host of the River City Radio Hour – Waynesboro, VA (Jun 18, 2010)
“Still reeling from the incredible performance by Bryan Elijah Smith tonight. It's the type of music that makes you want to drink bourbon, that fills a bar like smoke, that makes you proud to live in Virginia while it paints mountains and freight trains and the faces of lost lovers in your mind.”
- The Camel, review by The Camel (music venue) – Richmond, VA (Aug 16, 2010)
"Bryan Elijah Smith, of Staunton VA brings you some rock and roll. Great band. Great tunes."
- Blue 5 Restaurant, blue5restaurant.com - Roanoke, VA (Feb, 2011)
“Bryan Elijah Smith is one of Staunton's most creative performers...”
- Giovanni Cannata, General Manager of the Byers Street Bistro – Staunton, VA (Jul 15, 2010)
“Rockingham County's popular band Bryan Elijah Smith and the Wild Hearts will perform from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Their sound is often categorized as "Alternative Americana," a pleasant mix of folk with a hint of blues and rock. They will perform both their own original songs as well as popular hits by artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Dire Straits and Neil Young."
- James Madison University, Office Of JMU's President on jmu.edu - Harrisonburg, V A (Aug 2011)
“Best Band we have had in sometime, especially when the glass broke right at the end of the song. WOW!”
- John Huggins, Owner of Shenandoah Pizza & Host of Shenandoah Summer Blues Fest – Staunton, VA (Jul 12, 2010)
“Special mention should be made to another Virginia musician, Bryan Elijah Smith. Smith played guitar, bass, drums, and sang background vocals as well as engineering and co-producing the record with Moore. Smith also wrote "I'm The Same", the only track here not written by Moore. These two make an excellent collaborative pair."
- Jim Markel, swampland.com (Jul 2011)
“I wrote all of the songs around the time we were making the record,” he says. “The record wouldn’t exist without my relationship with Bryan Elijah Smith. I was trying to record some stuff on my own and was falling short on what I wanted. This kid, I call him a kid, he is only 25, came up to my house and engineered the record. Together he and I just wrote in my basement. It was a time that I will never forget. We were in a state of grace. We didn’t sleep much and when we did sleep we would get right back into it as soon as we woke up. The only thing looking back that I kick myself about was not pushing a little harder. If we stayed in that mind space we could have easily had another record."
- Nathan Moore, Singer-Songwriter – Staunton, VA (May 14, 2011)
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