Paul Handyside

"Handyside delivers melodies that hold, hooks that catch and songs that will stay with you for a long time." 
Folkwords Album of the month Feb 2016

"...subtlety and finesse and a rich vein of melancholy. It’s a flawless piece of folk narrative. Paul Handyside has produced a hauntingly melancholy album using a variety of (mainly) traditional instruments to provide a framework for his marvellous voice; it’s a powerful combination." ****
MusicRiot.co.uk

'A Whaler's Lament', a stupendous number...it deserves a nod in the Best Original Track category at the next Radio 2 awards...Outstanding."
Mike Davies fatea.com

"There is a strong, brooding Americana flavour...a rewarding set, good songs well performed" ****
Maverick

"Heave away you rolling kings...the folkier Paul Handyside gets the better he sounds...the triumph of the album is "A whaler's lament" which vibrantly leaps from the narrator's seaborne adventures at the turn of the nineteenth century...a highly listenable album but the stand-outs are unmissable."
AmericanaUK

"...lyrics so intelligent and observational only Leonard Cohen springs to mind as a comparison." 
Rocking Magpie

"...an articulate craftsman who cares more about quality than the latest fashion and each tune is a delightful labour of love." 
The Morning Star  

"...grown up music that touches the heart, the soul and the brain." 
Maverick Magazine  

"...yet again Handyside delivers, for all eleven compositions are distinctive and worth hearing repeatedly...It’s powerful stuff delivered with considerable aplomb.”" 
RocknReel Magazine  

"...There is nothing throwaway here, or transient, or ‘fake’. No, this is clearly an album straight from the heart from a songwriter who has a real grasp of the minutia of the human spirit...Handyside is a quality craftsman for sure and has delivered here an album worthy of your hearts and ears." 
AmericanaUK  

"...In the same way that the Billy Braggs of the music world are labelled as folk singers Handyside, by delivering a set of topical and love songs that will touch the heart and soul of the everyman, deserves to reach the same audience." 
pennyblackmusic.co.uk 

"...Handyside has created an adult, mature and confident album filled with rootsy, individual music. His songs are moving, intuitive and nostalgic, sincerely sung by a keen observer of human nature." 
aaamusic.co.uk  

"...The more you hear, the more you wonder why Paul Handyside doesn't sit at the top table with other elder statesmen of British songcraft such as Chris Difford, Billy Bragg, Robyn Hitchcock, Green Gartside, Elvis Costello and more." 
thesoundofconfusion.co.uk  

"...he still has a sharp ear for melody and an unerring ability to carry a tune with a voice Bruce Springsteen might have had he been re-located as a child from New Jersey to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne." 
godisinthetvzine.co.uk  

"...This is an album that is powerful in both voice and word, well worth checking out." 
Fatea.com

“A stunning show of alt. country with sci-fi leaning, at times there's images of both Johnny Cash and Radiohead partying at a folk festival - on the other hand they celebrate the ilk of Neil Diamond and Ry Cooder. Superb" 
www.manchestermusic.co.uk 

"…warm honeyed tones and clever songs about, groupies, love, death and redemption. Nothing new there you might say; but Handyside's delivery and the sublime slide playing from his guitarist Rob Tickell take him to a league well above his status as a support act. Think Richard Hawley with more charm!"
nodepression.com 

"Dressed in black from head to toe, Handyside resembled the gaunt figure of Harry Dean Stanton circa Paris, Texas, minus the red baseball cap and pent-up anger, strolling into a dusty middle-of-nowhere town."  
Allan Wilkinson Northern Sky 

"Two highly-skilled musicians (Paul and his side-man Rob Tickell) and a wonderful collection of self-penned music, with great melodies and highly-moving lyrics. Handyside sang superbly with an amplified guitar, but showed us his acoustic talent as well. Tickell played a glorious bottleneck guitar and sang great harmonies." 
North Yorkshire Herald and Gazette

"...in years to come, don't be surprised if you see a musical icon declaring this album as an early influence on their career"  
The Morning Star  

"...a rootsy acoustic troubadour with a masterful grasp of his craft...an easy listen with cuts like Forever Ending and Let The Lights Go Down achieving rare tenderness and a genuine emotional impact"  
Mojo 

"...Handyside's solo debut has just enough low-down twang and skipping drumbeats to qualify as Americana, but it's as a singer-songwriter that he excels...the title track's huge chorus is an absolute joy”  
Q Magazine  

"...an inspiring listen...an accomplished singer-songwriter plying his trade superbly well"  
Maverick

‘Future's Dream' then, is a fine record which carries itself with gravitas and dignity without ever jettisoning either the tune factor or the need for lyrical sharpness…it's as good an opportunity as any to re-acquaint yourself with Paul Handyside: one of the few '80s survivors who continues to truly demand our attention.”  
Whisperin’&Hollerin’  

“…The thing that struck me immediately was his voice, clear and strong…little by little Handyside’s songs began to make their way, to build gradually, finally to reveal themselves in all their beauty…Get this CD, you won’t be disappointed, believe me.”  
Roots Highway  

“Future’s Dream” is a brilliant album that makes you long for more from this artist…Until then we will have to make do with this master piece.”  
Rootstime  

"Beautiful, bleak yet fragile songs, like a brittle Sunday morning - a great record"  
Orlando Weekly  

“The first thing you notice about "Future's Dream" is the epic proportion of Paul Handyside's voice… It's a rare talent, the closest equivalent I can think of is the great Maria McKee.”  
Fatea Records  

“...just like Nick Lowe he steers completely personal course which will prove timeless..”  
Hanx.com (HOLLAND)