“In a world where pop music seems driven by dance routines and guest rappers, studio gizmos and auditory gimmicks, marketing money and social media frenzy, Blake, in general, and Louder Than Sound, in particular, remind us that you only really need one thing to get noticed. Great songs. This is an album of really great songs. Quite brilliant, in fact. The perfect balance between a familiar past and a bright new pop future.”

Dave Franklin, The Big Takeover

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“I hear more influences from the great artists over here. The Kinks, Stealers Wheel and even Canterbury Folk. Louder Than Sound is an awesome mix of the slow and the fast, both equally excellent. The acoustic vibes ache and for the pacier songs, you lose control of your feet. A master at work!”

I Don’t Hear A Single

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“For those craving a masterclass in classic songwriting rejuvenated with modern verve, Blake’s Louder Than Sound is an essential listen.”

Little Garden

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“Don’t be surprised if you stumble upon some of the finest properties borrowed from indie rock, psychedelic rock, rock ‘n’ roll, and blues, because this profoundly creative artist fully stacked his latest record with it.”

Thoughts Words Action, review of Louder Than Sound

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“With Louder Than Sound, Blake reaffirms his ability to craft music that is both personal and universally appealing, marking another milestone in his eclectic career. Fans of vintage power pop and contemporary indie rock alike will find much to admire in this dazzling addition.”

Plectrum Magazine

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“Louder Than Sound from retro rock minstrel and Subjangle stalwart, Blake, cuts swathes down the melodic sixties-pop and power-pop roads furrowed by acts such as Badfinger and The Beatles as he continues his mastery of finding that perfect pop song with unnerving regularity.”

JanglePopHub

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“Blake’s strength lies in his ability to balance the energetic and the delicate with equal mastery.”

Edgar Allen Poets, review of Louder Than Sound

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“The net has been cast pretty wide: the record contains elements from the last forty years of music history, further crowned by Blake’s vibrant and melancholic vocals, able of fierce loudness as they are of evocative softness.”

Mesmerized, review of Louder Than Sound

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“Louder Than Sound by Blake is an album vibrating with raw emotion, highs and lows combined of love, loss, and self-reflection. The way the lyrics of the album fold into a narrative of personal struggle, redemption, and the complexities of relationships is quite brilliant. Blake’s poetic explorations are intimately tied to the themes of longing and realization toward change; thus, it is a deeply reflective experience for the listener. With cunning metaphors and striking imagery, he creates songs that strike a familiar chord with all of us and also weave a seamless tale throughout the album.”

Analyze My Lyrics

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“Louder Than Sound embraces an indie influence that feels playful yet heartfelt, showing a willingness to break out of strictly pop-rock constraints.”

RGM

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“Overflowing with radiant vocals and sharp arrangements, Louder Than Sound delivers infectious hooks at every turn… each track bursts with undeniable charm and effortless coolness.”

Music n Gear

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“Blake has poured his heart and soul into crafting this vibrant collection of guitar-led tracks, capturing the essence of retro rock pop.”

Get Music, review of Louder Than Sound

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"Blake’s 'Solomon's Tump' sounds like The Beatles if the Fab Four were actually just one bloke working side jobs, jotting down ideas for lyrics while doing errands and using his own instincts and cheap gear instead of Geroge Martin and a state-of-the-art recording studio."

Alt77 Music Blog

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“Blake manages to mash the best of 60’s and 70’s garage rock with dashes of psychedelia and indie sensibility in a beautiful manner.  It’s a joyous experience that never once gets dull or overwhelming and features beautifully written, catchy melodies and songs that feel fun and sunny. His influences range from The Velvet Underground to The Beatles – and I hear a splash of R.E.M. and Teenage Fanclub in here too.  An amazing songwriter and performer, he’s made an album that has absolutely no fillers – you can listen to the whole thing on repeat and never skip one single track. That itself is an incredible accomplishment. The wide variety of eclectic sounds and ideas is what ties everything together in its right place, knowing exactly what it is doing every second of the way – going back and forth through rough garage rock and subtle experimentations.  It could be a lot to take in, but Blake does it all so cleverly that it sounds cool from start to finish.”

LessThan1000Followers.com, review of Plainsongs

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“Plainsongs is a captivating exploration of classic rock sounds, encompassing a diverse range of genres from psychedelic blues to power pop to garage rock and beyond. Even featuring a wildcard addition of a Gregorian Chant on the title track, Blake showcases his versatility and simply keeps you on your toes from the moment you hit the play button."

We Write About Music, review of Plainsongs

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“Opening track 'Hideaway' transports us directly into the heart of the album. Soaring guitars and Blake's resonant vocals evoke a rainy Sunday spent listening to records.”

EDM Rekords, review of Plainsongs

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"The album title reflects the stripped-down spirit Blake and his band infused into the backing tracks, recorded live in one room. The vocals are a sonic homage to Sun Studios, where Elvis unleashed his rock ‘n’ roll fire, and John Lennon later rekindled. The title also winks at medieval ‘plainsong’ and the blues-rock Spiritual, “Plainsong/Hear Me, Jesus” kicks off with a touch of ancient plainchant. The album’s cover art seals the deal. The songs capture the musical essence of the era Blake admires so much; in fact, ‘Make Love Not War’ could easily pass for a late sixties release. Unfortunately, its message remains as pertinent as ever."

NenesButler – Indie Music Blog, review of Plainsongs

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"Countless books have been written about love, but rarely as melodic as English singer-songwriter / DIY musician Julian Pugsley aka Bernard Blake has now. The Book On Love, his new album under the moniker of Blake, contains eleven songs that keep on misleading you without feeling cheated. Whether you like to read or not, listening is a pleasure."

Add To Wantlist​

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"Apparently Blake was listening to a lot of Pentangle and Fairport Convention while recording this album (he’s also a big fan of the Bevis Frond) and whomever called this guy’s songs “eclectic” was right on the money. There’s a lot to like here, most of the songs are top notch and now I think it’s time for you to discover the music of Blake (if you haven’t already). Go!"

Dagger Zine, review of The Book on Love

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"Fast forward twelve months or so and new album Kaleidoscope is out and if the former laid the foundations, the latter has built on that by reaching upwards towards the sky where it dances with Lysergic Lucy on a hallucinogenic voyage to the stars."

Into Music, review of Kaleidoscope

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“It is like finding a top quality indie station playing guitar pop and rock inspired by the best influences of the past five decades. That it is all written and performed by Pugsley is even more incredible, of course.”

When You Motor Away, review of HMS Blake

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“A great 'lost' songwriter. His sound is reminiscent of 90s acts such as Belle and Sebastian and Gorkys Zygotic Mynci. but also contains a raw edge with a 60s psych vibe.”

Colours Through The Air

 

“I would guess that he’s listened to Van Morrison (listen to “Vinyl Junkie”), BMX Bandits (listen to “Daisy Chain”), Teenage Fanclub (listen to “Denied”), or more in general the great rock/pop of Hefner.”

Snooping the Bandcamp, review of HMS Blake

 

“Quite a reminder that we could well be heading to the sixties on a one way ticket. It will likely have nostalgists in a tizzy as a result of the psychedelic harmonies.”

Mp3hugger, review of ‘Pepper Man’

 

“An elegant, tender and playful slice of psych tinged pop; it is woozy and melodic, dreamy and otherworldly with a real seductive quality and a 60s/70s vibe.”

BarryGruff, review of ‘The Free Life’

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"Given the rise and rise of the old media format it makes sense that we now have a song to high five vinyl’s reappearance. What Blake achieves is a production value that is pure vinyl in its values; the warmth and purity of his delivery makes for a personal experience that is so often lost on digital recordings. Once we get our portable turntables fixed, ‘Vinyl Junkie’ will be playing around the campfire all summer."

Kevin Hugger, Music Blogger, review of 'Vinyl Junkie'

 

“Blake is a rising UK talent, a true conceptual auteur. Here, he's set his compositional skills to work to create a rock opera version of the Nativity story. It's a corker of an adaptation.”

Oscar Hyde, CrossRhythms, review of Star Over Bethlehem

 

“Your music evokes that magic San Fran psychedelic sound and resonates with a deep understanding and respect for that era.”

Steve Barilotti, Film maker behind 'Rick Griffin: The Film'

 

“While Blake pays due homage to his influences, it’s his integrity that’s stamps itself over the 10 tracks contained on this long playing disc.”

Simon Wells, author of ‘Butterfly on a Wheel: The Great Rolling Stones Drugs Bust’, review of Stay Human

 

“The Beatle-esque nuances make it addictive…”

Audio Clinic, review of Stay Human

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"Musically, the album loses none of its charm and psychedelic pop-rock by tackling these hard hitting issues, and instead become a vehicle for Blake to convey his compassion and frustration for what he feels is our lost humanity. The album is punctuated by lovely little pop songs like "Tell Me Why", adding to Blake's growing reputation as a gifted songsmith."

Tim Goodall, review of Stay Human

 

“This is one talented guy, and versatile, too. One tune is folkish, another pop rock. Catchy melodies and personal songwriting without falling into the ‘woe-is-me, there’s nothing but my angst’ trap. Good stuff.”

laspikedelycmusic.bloguez.com, review of The First Snow

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“An eclectic mix of classic 60s sounds with a touch of early 70s and a sprinkling of the 80s.. FAR OUT !!! The music was so groovy i came back for another listen..Check this dude out, folks!”

Todd Dillingham, review of The Parousia

 

“Admirers of the Bevis Frond’s earliest bedroom recordings, with squeaky Farfisa bleat, fuzzy guitars and crash-bang drums will find much to admire…”

Phil McMullen, Terrascope Online, review of By The Banks of the A350

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“Get ready to shake that fringe because this is a big punchy pop swagger that suggests the Dave Clark Five have spent the last 40 years in sub-zero rejuvenation tanks, only to emerge as pointy-booted 21st century pop warriors. Very catchy, very good.”

Overplay, review of What You Do Comes Back To You

 

“A psychedelic vibe that sounds like it was ripped straight from the 60′s. The sound is captivating, moody and most of all authentic.”

Zack Daggy, Music Blogger

 

“Intelligent, soulful pop that’s more seductive than a box of After Eights.”

BBC Introducing

 

“A pulsating, trippy nod to the late 60s, this talented, Bath, England-based artist is one to watch and groove to for the long haul.”

Alan Haber, Buhdge, review of She's Not All That E.P.

 

“Like the tracks that follow, 'She’s Not All That' is a perfect pop song with catchy riffs, tight harmonies and a memorable and sing-a-long chorus.”

Stephen Morris, BBC Gloucestershire

 

"Blake turned up by a Small Faces search and does a pretty neat line in "Maximum Garage Soul" himself. 'Solomon's Tump' is a real stormer of a track."

Sweeny, Partly Porpoise Blog, review of 'Solomon's Tump'