“Eccentric, lush + musical… An atmospheric wicked beauty… Uncommonly smooth, yet strange and curious… Enjoy the Roy” — Tom Waits, musician
“A highly accomplished work” — Leonard Cohen (Poet/Novelist/ Musician)
“We’re surrounded by junk and noise… This is a record like an oasis. .. Like a friendly smile out of nowhere, at the end of a hectic day.” — Wim Wenders (Director)
.. “Phil’s one of the greatest writers I know… — Mavis Staples (Singer/Soul Legend)
.. I cannot get the new CD off of my player… The music is so good I practically started crying while I listened and went over what you’ve been through to get to this point. Making important art that impacts people’s lives is impossible without living, surviving and having the gift to pass it on. — Stephen Hannock (Painter), In the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art/ NYC
“Issues + Options,” one of the year’s two or three most satisfying albums by an American singer/songwriter.” — Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“An uncorrupted sense of artistic control” — Phil Gallo, Variety
“A soulful singer-songwriter” — Casey Dolan, Los Angeles Times
“From-the-heart epiphanies” Rating “A” — JONATHAN TAKIFF, Philadelphia Daily News
As a songwriter, Phil Roy specializes in what you might call a kind of “bleak optimism”. — Steve Inskeep (Host), All Things Considered NPR Radio
“An undercurrent of raw melancholy runs through his songs making him a kindred sprit to brooding types like Leonard Cohen, John Martyn, and Peter Gabriel. — Jon Pareles, THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Phil Roy accomplishes a delicate emotional surgery that countless troubadours have tried but few have been able to carry off.” — Steven Holden, New York Times
“Melt”: “Song of the Year” — Rita Houston, WFUV (NYC)
“Melt” is simply one of the most gorgeous love songs ever. — Kim Curtis, Associated Press
Phil Roy’s single “Undeniably Human” is one of the year’s bright spots. — Steve Morse, Boston Globe
“The Phil Roy album has affected me like no other record in the past decade. — Mike Marrone/PD The Loft XM 50 / XM Satellite Radio
Like Dylan and Springsteen, Phil Roy is a storyteller. — Paul Ducey, amazon.com
“Roy’s definitely got a strong knack for slinging emotional arrows pretty deep and true”. — Michael Bertin, The Austin Chronicle
“As a whole, “Issues + Options” is a smorgasbord of delectable sounds, friendly melodies and grown-up moods and topics, a classic in it’s genre” — TRIPLEARADIO.COM
“A songwriter of uncommon insight. In 5 seconds I was hooked on this album.” — Tom Ashbrook, (Host) On Point WBUR Boston
“Singer Phil Roy is something of a local hero.” — THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
“There was a connection between the unguarded emotionality of Mr. Roy and the urbane sophistication of, say, Cole Porter. It has to do with intelligence and complexity,” “Not style, but the depth of meaning.” — Jane Moss, Lincoln Center’s VP for programming
“He’s not the next big thing. He’s the now and forever real thing.” — WXPN (Philadelphia)
Roy is a soulful singer with an intimate conversational voice reminiscent of Joe Henry, Leonard Cohen + Terry Callier and he’s willing to take chances. — Steve Klinge, Harp Magazine
I tell you this song (Melt) is a phenomenon like “Wicked Game” was by Chris Isaak – it just kept getting phones. I’m just a radio gal who recognizes a hit when she hears one. — Rosalie Howarth, KFOG (San Francisco)
The Philly native channels Marvin Gaye’s social conscience in the delicate soul of “Hope in a Hopeless World” while shifty world fusion envelops the introspective “Undeniably Human.” It’s moments like this where Roy shines”. — John Vettese, The Philadelphia City Paper
“Phil Roy is the perfect example of the type of artist whom Triple A radio can embrace and champion. His music is intelligent, insightful and sensitive. He relies on his talents as a songwriter and performer to propel his message and shies away from studio wizardry and manipulation.” — John Schoenberger, Radio and Records
Soul inflected, jazz-folk sung with a voice like young Stevie Wonder or Jose Feliciano. Beautifully rendered, each song paints its message through mood – this is like fine scotch – it’s made for people who have a particular taste. — The Daily Herald Tribune
..It’s My World… Your World… Our World… One World. Ray Charles (“The Genius”) Singing a Phil Roy lyric from the song “My World”. — Warner Bros. Records 1993
