Rolling Stone - 2/20/97, pp.68-70
3.5 Stars (out of 5) - "...Considering the band's past, the '97 Krayola vintage is deceptively subdued....By remaining elusive and elliptical, both lyrically and musically, Mayo Thompson involves the audience, which must pay close attention to the record's intricacies..."
Entertainment Weekly - 12/13/96, p.83
"...Here, [Thompson] mixes gentle guitar; flat, Lou Reed-style vocals; and an assortment of unusual instruments into a blend of familiar elements that seem to have been put together all wrong. In Thompson's hands, though, it all sounds oddly right." -
Rating: A-Alternative Press - 3/97, p.74
5 (out of 5) - "...suberbly unified body of work that beautifully conveys Thompson's awkward vision."
The Red Krayola includes: Mayo Thompson.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Christopher Williams; David Grubbs; George Hurley; Michael Baldwin; Albert Oehlen; Lynn Johnston; Mayo Thompson; Stephen Prina; Tom Watson; John McEntire; Jim O'Rourke.
Mayo Thompson has expressed bemusement at the constant categorization of his work as "quirky." Hazel, however, will do nothing to stem the tide of that adjective showing up in reviews such as this one. The Red Krayola do not seem interested nearly as much in connecting disparate styles as jumbling them. So you'll hear a languid, Lou Reedish drone segue into a John Faheyish guitar pattern backed by weird female vocals, and then a light reggaeish thing about Christian soldiers marching onward. The lyrics are not constructed to make a point, but to reflect the rhythm and fragmented patterns of everyday thought and conversation. It's interesting, but too nonchalantly strange to evoke a passionate response. ~ Richie Unterberger
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