Abe Beeson, KEXP DJ
" . .Good-time pop that never fails to take my mind off the cares of the world. Andy’s got a great band. . .The group’s songs would fit with Wings-era McCartney or Supertramp, but have a depth that recalls great songwriters like Cole Porter and the Gershwins. Andy has confident but vulnerable vocals. . .and no one can deny the hooks."
Ed Schrader, City Paper (Baltimore, MD)
"... He (Andy Werth) draws from a variety pack of influences that would be noninterchangeable in less inventive hands... Much of this disc’s strength (Seeing Stars) is in Werth’s stellar arrangement skills, employing layers of flugelhorns, organs, electric and acoustic guitars, and piano. This approach has become less common in our world of loops and samples; it’s refreshing... His backing band delivers topnotch grooves with a sound that is tighter than a recession budget. If these tunes were performed solo, on an acoustic guitar, it wouldn’t measure up to the power that results from a full-blown pub rock-style band burning down the house..."
Gary Miller, Seattle PowerPop Blog
". . .bouncy, uplifting pop that hearkens back to 1970s pop without feeling dated or kitchy. . .there isn’t a throwaway song in the bunch. Unlike many EPs, which seem tossed off to tide folks over until the next full-length, Andy has put five strong songs on this sucker. . . Andy and his band really present something unique on the Seattle music scene. Although there are certainly bands in an "affinity group" (like Tiny Volcano, Curtains For You and "Awesome") I don’t think there is another group doing anything exactly like this. And they really kick it up a notch live."
Aiding & Abetting
"Finely-crafted pop rockers. . .Werth's wry lyrics and even slyer delivery seal the deal."
IndiePages
"After an impressive debut EP from Andy a little over a year ago, this follow-up (and slightly longer) EP is even better! The songs on this disc fall in the same sunny and jaunty Rhodes-filled pop vein (falling somewhere between the New Pornographers and Paul McCartney), but they seem to shine even brighter this time around, thanks in part to the increased use of horns. A couple of the songs ("Snowing In Buffalo" & "Tower") even seem to have a dancey feel to them. Like the previous EP, the production is rather glossy, but it fits the style of the songs so well that I couldn't imagine it any other way. Another perfect pop coup for this Seattle-ite!"
Independent Clauses
“. . .truly delectable characteristics. . .a pop treat enjoyable for all. Seeing Stars has the power to enchant, and in under twenty minutes to boot. Andy Werth really has something strong going on here, and I am excited to hear what a full-length album might be like someday. . .”
DJ Chris Zaplatosch for The Source 95.1 (Valparaiso Univ. radio station, Valparaiso, IN)
"One of the things I love the most about being on The Source 95's Music Staff is that we get to check out a lot of the music from new artists who send us their stuff. Some of it isn't great, most of it is pretty decent, and every once in a while something really stands out. "Seeing Stars" by Andy Werth is one such gem. The arrangements are assembled magnificently. Backing him on piano is a standard band with an impressive horn section. Horns weave in and out at just the right times and have the catchiest hooks. Comparing him to another band is difficult, but if I had to, I would probably say he sounds like Augustana if they were happier, more upbeat, could sing better, and had less guitar and a horn section. Wow, that probably isn't helpful at all. All tracks stand out, but I'll highlight a few. The EP opens with the song "Goodnight." This song begins softly with the intermittent melody of piano notes opening up the song to the wealth of instrumentation it eventually grows into. "I should've grabbed my coat and followed you, but I never thought you'd go this far," Werth sings. After "drinking his way into a fight" he realizes that that he "just can't close his eyes until he hears you say 'goodnight'" and the song comes to a one of the best sounding climaxes of 2008 so far. "Tower" is wedged right in the middle of this EP, and starts off immediately with a loud energetic anthem. Lyrics start off about a girl and about a time he "found a creek 10 miles from nowhere, we could lay there the two of us alone." It progresses into the present where the woman "got a kid, got a job now, been hurt a lot now," and the singer is faced with the decision "to call you back or let you go." The real highlight of the song is the music though. The explosions of horns and piano and drums are so catchy you can't help but smile, verses flow into charming hooks, and it all flows together to make for one hell of a song. "It's All Right" is the final song on the EP and ends on a less energetic, more mellow tone. Starting and ending off with a catchy and smooth piano part, the song seems to find the singer in an unpleasant state, but continuously reassuring himself that "it's all right." Werth sings "got no place, got no plans but you sure as hell won't know that. Drop the name of a girl I'm staying with but she doesn't exist, but it's all right." What's impressive is that the music shifts moods as the lyrics do. During the downcast parts, it sounds slower, but when Werth sings that "it's all right," the tone brightens up, brings in other instruments, and it feels like the sun coming out to brighten things up. I've just briefly reviewed 3/5ths of this EP, and that's the one thing about this album that I dislike: its length. I understand that it is just an EP, and as such shouldn't be longer than 5 or 6 songs, but I just want more! With this EP just recently coming out, no plans are immediately in place for a full length recording to come out. I can hope it is soon though. This is an outstanding release, and I can't wait to hear more from Andy Werth. He's got my attention."
Megan Seling, The Stranger, Band of the Week
"Exuberant horns! Rollicking piano! Bouncing drums and bright harmonies! Andy Werth's music is an epic burst of happiness that takes you to a time when magnetic showmen would deliver solidly crafted pop songs catchier than the Meow Mix jingle. Live, Werth summons the feel-good energy of a 70's Elton John and the romantic croon of Burt Bacharach, performing with a band who lend his songs the modern-day symphonics of Belle & Sebastian or Ben Folds. It's something you can listen to when your parents visit without entirely sacrificing your cool."
Exoduster
"Werth can make the completely jaded renew faith in the little guy and that great music still permeates seemingly out of nowhere."
Daggerzine.com
"The songwriting is terrific. . . if you're a fan of Belle & Sebastian or The New Pornographers then you’ll be ok with this."