"In his solo recordings, roots music renaissance man Steve Dawson has been alternating instrumental and vocal albums of late. 2014's Rattlesnake Cage was all-instrumental, while Solid States and Loose Ends brings Dawson's voice back to the mix."

"A smooth integration of blues, country and bluegrass... in other words... very cool!"

"Greasy slide, dazzling blazers and dark sounding backing vocals make 'Loose Ends' a soul song to dream."

"This is the best album we have heard from Dawson whose vocals have matured so much that they now match his guitar prowess."

"He gathers personal pieces from a past that played host to varied styles, mixing them with the studio tricks and life tales that Steve Dawson has captured along the way."

"Always a consummate picker with a wide array of vintage amps and instruments in his arsenal, his songwriting runs the gamut from pre-WWII blues, gospel, folk, and roots."

"If the world's greatest guitarists were honestly compiled in a list Steve Dawson's name would be very near the top."

"Clearly, the man’s multifarious guitar chops are in order, but that’s just the tip. Dawson also writes absorbing songs, sings in a gratifying tenor, produces attention-grabbing sound, and owns the studio and the record label."

"It’s a deft trick to mix old school tradition with modern sounds, but guitarist-vocalist Steve Dawson does an impressive balancing act here"

"Canadian guitarist Steve Dawson is rapidly becoming one of my favorite guitar players with a string of great recordings of predominantly original music."

"You might say this one is his career album"

"This native of Vancouver who now resides in Nashville is at the top of his game. I strongly urge you to check him out!"

"Listening to the slinky, undulating moan of the tremoloed slide guitar that kicks off “Loose Ends,” the opening track of Steve Dawson’s new full-length Solid States and Loose Ends, might conjure images of a dragonfly hovering low over a steamy Mississippi Delta swamp, or maybe a gator lazily skimming the surface of some remote Louisiana bayou. And you might find yourself thinking, surely Dawson grew up somewhere in the South."

"Again, The McCrary's are on hand, the result recalling Taj Mahal's work with The Pointer Sisters."

"There is tremendous musicianship throughout and infections rhythm, but not at expense of the quality or melodiousness of the songs."

"But it is Dawson's guitar skills and the superb array of musicians he has assembled that make Solid States and Loose Ends such a fine addition to his blues and country oeuvre."

"Dawson works his magic on a couple of traditional songs as well: Riley Pucket’s “Can’t Put That Monkey On My Back” is stunning and Gid Tanner & The Skillet Lickers’ “Riley’s Hen House Door”, which gets an extraordinary workout from Dawson on acoustic slide, a solo treat."

"We should probably expect no less from a man of such immense talents! Buy it and give yourself a rare musical treat! Go on, you know you want to."

"Any of Steve Dawson’s albums are worth a listen, but Solid States and Loose Ends stands out in his catalog, with some of his most compelling songwriting and guitar work yet."

"Swirling bouts of frantic slide guitar frame Dawson’s melancholic lyrics. His voice blends blues and folk singing styles with a hint of noir and a creep of country twang — something that could be credited to living in Nashville."

"Dawson proves he's a modern master, understanding how the music got from then to now, and that he can handle it all."

"The Juno award wining string bender fires up an Americana outing that seems informed by 70s Ry Cooder and Dan Hicks."

"At its crux, the album survives the roots-folk that Dawson established at the outset of his career, but some tracks have a swampy southern blues quality to them."

"From the first notes on “Loose Ends” through “Broken Future Blues,” the ballad “California Saviour,” the slick picking on “Little Silver,” the haunting “Final Words,” to the closer, “Rose’s Blues,” every song on this album is a great song."

"It’s roots rock at its best with Dawson’s soulful vocals and subtle but smoking guitars."

"The Canadian-by-way-of-Nashville set his sights on making a melting pot full-band album, in all its deep-fried wonder. That he succeeded so well is a testament to trusting your gut instinct."

"Prior comparisons of Steve Dawson to Ry Cooder seem very justifiable and likely inevitable, given the Canadian turned Nashvillian’s slide guitar prowess and extensive roots music palette."

"This is the most beautifully considered, composed and performed album of Steve’s career, and as the title suggests, it is an album that sums up and gathers together the many musical influences and lyrical themes that he has been exploring for more than two decades now."

"Acoustic, electric, slide, pedal steel, vintage, edgy — Dawson’s versatility as a guitar player is on display more than ever on the new recording."

"Guitarist, singer, producer, arranger, session musician, and label owner – Dawson is a busy man with a resume a mile long."