Press

Review Quotes by Song
“Stand out opening track “It Is What It Is,” comes at you with full-force Southern-infused rock and roll containing a catchy chorus and multiple guitar lines in which Gaar’s instrumentation and vocals blossom.”

“Sooner or Later” vocal and music delivery is in-your-face and unavoidably bad-**** with loud and elongated guitar strokes screaming 80s decadence a la ZZ Top, but in a relevant light for today’s music landscape.”

“Angel Flew Away”, a melancholy ballad with subtly significant guitar work that approaches perfection transcending sound and style to imprint on your mind a song you’ll return to again and again.”

“Still in Love with You” shows Gaar swinging his blues and country punches with a jazzy Steely Dan-like groove swirled into a Clapton-esque soupy blues straddle.”

“Ain’t No Hill for a Stepper” is a hand-jive-like jam with a wicked series of solo plateaus filled with a gospel sound and organ crunch that is shoved forward by Gaar’s signature raunchy guitars.”

“Between the Lines” – this standout IS the song that could be an AOR breakout for Gaar. The song’s chorus has an epic hook and feel…”

“The First Step” shows off a taste of the jazziness found in NOLA while surrounding it with straight ahead guitar-flavored rock and roll.”

“Brighter Side of Maybe” is sure to be a fan favorite in concert and seems a likely candidate to get picked up in the licensing world.”

“Shoulda Been A Good Day” is another radio-friendly pop ballad that has a walloping hook and a bridge containing a flurry of violins and accentuated orchestral sighs that just add another dimension to Gaar’s story-telling.”

“Let Me Show You” piano arrangements, raw harmonies, pop-oriented melodic changes and dreamy pop synth whirrs make for a song you’ll replay over and over again!”


CD Review
"With all of the elements that come together to create Brighter Side of Maybe, including the many styles of music which were blended together, the talented musicians that took part in creating it, and even the spiritual aspect to the lyrics, the most important thing to be said about the release is that it is solid. There is not one song in the tracklist that should have been left out. The ten tracks that make up the album come together to create a release that all but begs the listener to just let the album play out in its entirety. For only a second solo release, John Gaar has created something in Brighter Side of Maybe that will be hard to top."

Review by Matheson Kamin, The Rock and Roll Report
Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)


John Gaar is on the Brighter Side of Maybe
Austin, Texas’ John Gaar continues to leave his mark throughout the music scene, leaving lasting impressions on listeners and promoters with a fascinating, organic sound which is riddled with Americana. By blending blues, folk, rock, and jazz, this experienced musical veteran continues to strive for greatness, enjoying success with his previous efforts while continuing to diversify and expand his sound. 2011 sees Gaar releasing a brand new collection of brilliant pieces, wrapped up in a bluesy shell with all the rock trimmings, dubbed The Brighter Side of Maybe.

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Review Quotes
"When mixing John's new record, I was pleased to see there was no filler, just great song after great song, sung with the intensity that he wrote them with."
~ Mark Hallman - Grammy Award Winning Producer

"John Gaar is a tremendous talent, great song writer, incredible guitar player and I must say the man can sing. So glad that he put out this great cd."
~ Malford Milligan, Lead Singer, Storyville

"His originals are right up with the masters, as is his playing and obvious stage presence!"
~ Tradition Magazine, US

"It's easy to be anonymous in the glutted Austin music scene, but John Gaar appears to have what it takes to garner notice!"
~ Music Morsels Music Industry Newsletter, US