“…a furious romp of smokin’ grooves and burnin’ rhythm and blues as kicked out by a pack of hungry wolves bent on dazzling audiences with their showmanship and virtuosity. ”
Seattle PI Seattle WA
“American band Left Hand Smoke deliver an earthy brand of rhythm and blues harking back to a time when R&B was about love lost in smokey bars and dancing on tables under the influence of a few too many shots of sour mash.”
Play Music London
“…a straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll killing machine. ”
The Idaho Statesman
LHS “distinguish themselves through formidable musicianship and a controlled looseness…and they find a nice balance between structure, discipline, and playfulness. LHS are a band to keep an eye on.”
Amazon.com
“Left Hand Smoke’s second album continues to flaunt conviction and chops beyond the band’s years.” AMG Rating 4 Stars
All Music Guide, Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor MI
“Seattle-based rock act Left Hand Smoke, a bluesy quintet reminiscent of the Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers and Little Feat, is set to break out of the Pacific Northwest.”
R&R (Radio and Record) Los Angeles CA
“The music is unique, combining funk, jazz, and rock, with a huge dose of soul on top. No matter what they were playing, it just oozed soul.”
Disheveled Magazine
“Listen to their three albums and it’s clear the band has plenty of punch right from the start.”
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
“Get What You Deserve” is another Mish-McDonald one-two punch; Mish’s roadhouse ivory-pounding and his brother’s rousing guitar makes for a shouter that could be a cover of an unreleased Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels tune.”
Ink 19
“Left Hand Smoke has earned a reputation for romping live shows and a loyal following in the college towns of the Northwest.”
Seattle P-I AP Wire
“The best way to describe Left Hand Smoke is to say it sounds like Van Morrison met with B.B. King and collided with Train on the way up.”
Ebbtide Online Seattle
“Storied songwriting and a richer, fuller sound on the band’s latest release, “Nonsense Parade,” celebrate Left Hand Smoke’s individuality and influences.”
Seattle Times Seattle WA
“For a self-produced debut, Left Hand Smoke is a startlingly accomplished record.”
All Music Guide, Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor MI
“Left Hand Smoke continues to draw hordes of college kids to its energetic shows with the help of steady support from radio station KMTT. The formula is pretty simple, and contains elements of classic R&B, funk and bluesy rock. What makes it special is the sincerity with which LHS delivers the goods and the economy of the playing. Many bands of this genre fall into the trap of wanky overplaying; Left Hand Smoke keeps it simple, to the benefit of the songs.”
Digital City
“If you’ve been listening to most of the corporate pop that has poisoned the airwaves, let me warn you — this album might have a little too much music in it.”
The Daily Evergreen
“This young five-piece infuses its revved up blues-based rock with more than a little soul. These guys aren’t jumping on a bandwagon so much as building one of their own — from the ground up… Their rise to local prominence has been swift, and the national buzz that is beginning to form around Left Hand Smoke is getting so loud it must be hard for these guys to hear themselves think…some form of mega-stardom can’t be far behind.”
The Inlander Spokane WA
“Left Hand Smoke — a touch of blues and southern rock, well-crafted songs, good guitar, keyboards and vocals, and a future that could very well prove that where there’s smoke there’s fire.”
Idaho Press-Tribune Nampa ID
“The Northwest offers more than a few talented original Blues-rock acts poised to make a jump to the bigs. Leading the way with their soulful Southern-rock tinged rhapsodies are Left Hand Smoke.”
West Cost Performer
“The way this band commands an audience harks back to the Spencer Davis Group and the early Stones…that’s the kind of fire that this young, incendiary band brings to their customarily sweaty, sold-out gigs.”
The Rocket Seattle, WA
“Catch Left Hand Smoke in Seattle while you still can. If these guys catch on in the rest of the country like they have in our fair city, they won’t be playing venues like Ballard’s Tractor Tavern for long.”
MTV Online
“A fun, upbeat pop-blues band with a knack for catchy songs.”
The Seattle Times
“How much bigger can this local roots-rock band get before biz honchos swoop down and scoop them up? Get ‘m while you can – it’ll only be a matter of time before Left Hand Smoke catch on all over the country.”
Digital City
“A creative and energizing mixture of contemporary styles with classic rhythms.”
The Chronicle Centralia WA
Left Hand Smoke 