“His forte is to lay open a subject as seen through the eyes of others and in so doing explore difference and let the listener take their own standpoint.”

“Transcending mediocrity to deliver the truly magnificent”

“A mountain of vocal charisma as well as a stunning song poet.”

“Delivering his moodily memorable reflections on the human condition with an eloquence and honesty.”

“A master songwriter”

“Olney’s well traveled voice rides a nice shotgun on “Always the Stranger.”

“We can just as easily call this pairing of Olney with Dawson and these musicians magical.”

“One of the founding fathers of of Americana.”

“The title track in particular is very affecting and, thanks to his soft, vulnerable vocals, the heartstrings are also expertly tugged.”

“Olney plays it right.”

“Thoroughly recommended.”

“The album is a deep-dive into the mind of a man with incredible wisdom and an undeniable talent for both personal and social observations which are carefully crafted to send both a message and provoke thought within the listener.”

“His turgid rumblings and gritty ballads are as ominous as ever, each an astute example of a style that effectively ploughs the rich top soil of arcane Americana music.”

"This new album by David Onley is an example of how pleasant Americana can and should sound."

"The late Townes Van Zandt himself quoted David OLNEY among his favorite songwriters."

“I wanted to explore the idea of walls,” Olney said about the LP. “What does a wall mean? What does it mean to be an immigrant who comes upon that wall as a wanderer, someone lost and alone?”

“Veteran singer-songwriter Olney has been one of Americana's most prolific performers for more than three decades now, delivering his moodily memorable reflections on the human condition with an eloquence and honesty which has earned him the admiration of such illustrious peers as Emmylou Harris and the late great Townes van Zandt.”

“Olney’s poetic wordplay, intriguing story-songs, and world-weary vocals put him in a class by himself, the man’s talents transcending mediocrity to deliver the truly magnificent with This Side or the Other.” 

“But David Olney knows words. He knows what they can do, and when paired with a bitter/sweet melody, they can take on a life of their own.

And maybe they can even tear down walls.”

“His old friend Townes Van Zandt once compared Olney's abilities to that of Mozart, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Bob Dylan. Can there be higher praise?”