“The lyrics are intimate but the music can get loud — some songs recall early demos from The Strokes.”
–Nate Scott on USA Today FTW! April 29, 2016
“You’re welcome, indie rock fans: Meet your next favorite album, Car Seat Headrest’s ‘Teens of Denial'”
–Scott Timberg in Salon, April 19, 2016
“Rarely does teen angst sound so fun.”
–NPR’s World Cafe Next, April 18, 2016
“Car Seat Headrest perfectly embodies Seattle’s music ethos – it’s three young dudes making banging, garagey arty rock, beautifully unpolished and sublimely honest, the exact sort of rawness that drove grunge from our basements to the rest of the world.”
–Scott Kulicke on KEXP blog, April 17, 2016
“From what we have heard of the new material so far it seems like Car Seat Headrest is set to take off.”
–Christopher Anthony on The Fire Note, April 15, 2016
“Rousing choruses, cut-to-the-heart lyricism, superfluous alter-egos — Teens of Denial pretty much nails every single ingredient that goes into a great rock record.”
–Collin Brennan on Consequence of Sound, April 14, 2016
“The 23-year-old Leesburg-born musician…is being hailed as one of the best young songwriters around; Rolling Stone compared him to both Brian Wilson and Guided By Voices-frontman Robert Pollard, and Consequence of Sound recently spent close to 1,700 words explaining why Toledo is the ‘indie rock hero we’ve been waiting for.'”
–Dean Essner in Washingtonian, April 14, 2016
“You might not believe in yourself by the end of ‘Fill in the Blank,’ but you will certainly believe in Car Seat Headrest.”
–Quinn Moreland on Pitchfork, April 12, 2016
“The album is a brainy adrenaline rush from the beginning, and the beginning is out in the world as of today.”
–Chris DeVille on Stereogum, April 11, 2016
“Guitars dance around the track like a fighter in the ring, stepping with surprising lightness around the crunchy rhythms.”
–Ben Kaye in Consequence of Sound, April 11, 2016
“Featuring album artwork of written-out lyrics, ‘Fill in the Blank’ has Toledo sounding frustrated with factors outside of his control, which only makes him more upset with himself.”
–Rachel Brodsky in Spin, April 11, 2016
“He was trying to figure out how much the general public was willing to accept as far as the complexities of a pop song.”
–Will Toledo discussing Brian Wilson’s “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” on Pitchfork, April 11, 2016
“The smart, somewhat off-kilter indie-rock of Car Seat Headrest…seemed a perfect fit for a night at a museum.”
–Kevin Bronson on buzzbands.la, April 3, 2016
“Fans of Beatles-esque 60s songwriting, 80s jangle pop, and 90s grunge will find him a welcome long term addition to their classic collection.”
–Cal Trefor on Gigwise, April 3, 2016
“His band puts on a great show [without] necessarily performing – but their set builds from a slow start to a frenetic, heavily rock climax. It’s emotional and transporting to watch.”
–Chris Chafin in Brooklyn, April 1, 2016
“The band dialed the noise up to 11 one last time…leaving this guy with a slight buzzing in his ear and a newfound respect for the straight-up rawking capabilities of Will Toledo.”
–Will Reisman on The Bay Bridged (San Francisco), April 1, 2016
“Two artists, separated in age by more than 40 years but with the same passion and drive to create, despite any obstacles. Music lives. Music thrives. Its only limitation is our ability to take it all in.”
–Jim Lenahan, re: Charles Bradley and Will Toledo performing at South by Southwest in USA Today, March 27, 2016
“You may have gathered that we’re excited about Car Seat Headrest’s upcoming album, Teens of Denial.”
–Jackson Sinnenberg on NPR‘s “All Songs TV,” March 24, 2016
“Now with a record deal, a full band, and a new album on the way, Toledo could soon find himself inspiring younger musicians.”
–Rachel Brodsky in Spin, March 24, 2016
“Not a good pop song. Damn fine rock song though. Damn. Fine.”
–Matthew Hickey, re: “Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” on Turntable Kitchen, March 24, 2016
“Will Toledo…is a homemade songwriting wiz with a sound that reaches back to ‘90s acts like Pavement and Beck, but which, he explained after the show, really pulls from those bands’ predecessors, specifically The Beatles, The Who and Pink Floyd.”
–Dan DeLuca on philly.com (Philadelphia Inquirer), March 18, 2016
“Every element of the singer-songwriter’s agility shone through at his Under the Radar showcase, where he teased alt-pop tastes of his forthcoming Teens of Denial and let out a few self-deprecating comments.”
–Rachel Brodsky in Spin, March 17, 2016
“[The Flaked soundtrack] has even more indie cred thanks to the cuts it uses from Warpaint, EL VY, Car Seat Headrest and Kurt Vile – among many others.”
–Larry Bartleet on NME, March 10, 2016
“When respected Indie label…Matador Records came calling, Will Toledo was ready.”
–John Wenzel on Hey Reverb (The Denver Post), January 15, 2016
“Car Seat Headrest’s music is catchy, hooky and rough-hewn in the classic indie-rock tradition, and his lyrics are simultaneously funny and poignant — a difficult trick Toledo pulls off with casual aplomb.”
–Michael Roberts on Westword, January 12, 2016
“Toledo has been focusing on translating the intricately layered, angst-driven inertia of his recorded material to a live setting, where “everything is a lot more stripped-down, basic and rock-and-roll,” which sits fine with him.”
–Jonny Pepperman in Relix, January 8, 2016