“Speak Easy” gets reviewed on the Buzz Bands column of the LA Times.



Amateurs, “Speak Easy” (self-released): L.A. quartet Amateurs can’t quite decide what they want to be, except good. Their first album nods to classic rock, folky ’70s radio fare, modern indie titans and maybe even prog rock band or two, if they used strings. Whether you hear a lot of Wilco or a little Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention or the Band, it’s the emotional range that makes Amateurs’ an impressive debut. Its melodic bounce, gorgeous wedding of harmonies with Shannon De Jong’s strings and smartly spun vignettes by singer-guitarist Keith Waggoner give “Speak Easy” a warm, organic sheen. It’s folk-rock that doesn’t need to resort to gimmickry or conscious deconstruction.

Here’s the link to the story…