“Crowe 2.0” is one of those albums that surprisingly work. The sound is noisy, lo-fi, and slightly “untidy,” but that’s what makes it great. If it had been over-produced and glossily polished, it would have been ruined. The loud, free flowing rock combined with Crowe’s knack for songwriting, makes “Crowe 2.0” a real winner. The lyrics are excellent while the music is just flat-out amazing. “Afterglow” will get stuck in your head for days as will “Unchanged”, “Something Better” and “Memory”.

Crowe’s music has less to do with sensational precision playing and computer-induced additives, than it does with playing out artistic passion. If you’re tired of virtuoso players and software junkies making records, then this band’s for you. The sound takes you back to a time when capturing artistic emotion in music and communicating it to others was much more important than the gimmicks and gadgetry found in today’s rock music.

The feeling you get listening to the way sound is arranged, is a clear indication that Tim Crowe – Guitar & Vocals, Don Reilly – Drums, Stephen Sydor – Guitar and Sean Dubreuil –Bass, have something deeper going on here. And whether or not you’re a fan of what they bring to the table on this album, you’ll be instinctively drawn to, and pleased by, its organic execution.

Alternative rock, Indie rock, psychedelic rock, acid rock…Who cares? This is just great music in any genre. Plain and simple, you must have this in your collection. Forget the glossy, overly-polished rock that floods the airwaves today and give “Crowe 2.0” a listen. - Jamsphere Magazine

Sometimes there is music created out of a love for music itself and pays homage to its history. Crowe’s second album, Crowe 2.0 is a set of tunes that stands as a testimony to all that is soul-warming about classic rock and roll, with some blues bite thrown in to the mix.

Album opener ‘Afterglow’ starts things off with such a warm tone you could believe you were in a smoky basement at a tiny garage band gig. It’s intimate sounding, delicate in all the right places and yet crunchy enough to be engaging. With its sleepy “do-do-do” refrain, you’ll be humming it for days to come.

‘Unchanged’ comes off like a bluesy Ryan Adams with the most delightful ever-so-slightly-burned guitar intro, and bringing in yearning vocal harmonies on the chorus. With lyrics like “I got so much soul to give to you”, its a song with plenty of humanity about it which contrasts with the amount of overproduced-to-an-inch-of-its-life music we tend to be surrounded by these days.

There’s a sleepiness that underlies the tracks on the album, and it’s particularly apparent on ‘Swallow A Gun’ with its long, long reverb as if it was recorded at the bottom of a well. Despite the effect on the instrumentation, the vocals cut through clearly and add a glue to the music that keeps it from being muddy or washed out.

‘Something Better’ is a fuzzed-out number with a screeching guitar bart that lingers in the background like R.E.M.’s ‘Country Feedback’, while ‘Liquid’ is more trebly in tone with a strong groove that will grab the listener’s attention with its post-grunge stylings.

Moving into more psychedelic territory, ‘Memory’ is all phasers and phuzz. There’s a simplicity to the songwriting, its a simple enough ballad when you strip away all the effects which would work equally well as an unplugged acoustic track.

Crowe 2.0′s penultimate track ‘Earthquaker’ keeps a hold of the psychedelic edge on its opening, before quickly shifting into a no-nonsense rocker leading into the concluding ‘Unbreakable’ – an all-out rock number which has a touch of The Presidents Of The United States Of America, making it a fun upbeat end to an enjoyable record.

For some no-nonsense rock with the sensibilities of a purist, check out Crowe 2.0 by Crowe. - CrossRadar.com

When it comes to rock, there’s a lot of genre shifting. Crowe definitely has a lot of monikers that you can throw at them, but one thing is for sure, they are staying true to the core rock formula that introduced the world to an alternative to the jazzy sounds for the 1930s and 40s. This is like a time capsule to the birth of rock, classic or not, “Crowe 2.0” puts on a display of true rock sounds that you will be hard-pressed to compare with other bands right now.

From the first moments of “Afterglow” through the rest of the 8 total tracks, you’re going to get hit with that distortion and bass that comes through the rock pathos that you’ve come to love today. It’s rare to hear an independent record with such heavy rock influence without trying to shift into all sorts of genres. This band doesn’t need that, it is rocking from the first track to the last, and it shows.

Some of the standout moments include “Afterglow”, “Swallow a Gun”, “liquid”, and “Unbreakable”. However, as is my custom, I listened to the whole record and can truly say that it’s a complete release with no need to pick a favorite. Often times, you’ll find yourself listening to one track more than others, but that’s going to be hard with this one, because they all pose a serious sound that you don’t get often. The vocals are solid, the guitars swell, and the bass drives you through what you would expect from pure rock music.

Out of all the rock bands you may have heard before, this is going to be one of the better solutions. It’s rare to hear a band play this sound so well and still be independent. I’m certain Crowe is going to get picked up by a label, the music is tight, well played rock music that doesn’t have any sort of pretense. It’s excellent. I recommend it.

You can learn more about Crowe, on their official website here. You can also download their album “Crowe 2.0” here, and see what pure rock sounds like today. I loved it. - Sell Out Records

We started playing together in approx. 2009. We have known each other for 25+ years (since high school). Yes, we are old!
We all played in various local bands over the years (dating back to the 90’s). As life progressed with careers and families, music started taking a back seat. After a bit of a hiatus, we all got the itch to play again. Basement jams turned into something special. So we decided to start playing out and about. And here we are, almost 5 years later!
- Guitar Justice

this album was full of pleasant surprises around each corner. Each track was pumped full of purpose and likability. It is obvious that Crowe is onto something important and meaningful! Such a great work in total. I rate this album 8/10. A solid effort and great summer album.this album was full of pleasant surprises around each corner. Each track was pumped full of purpose and likability. It is obvious that Crowe is onto something important and meaningful! Such a great work in total. I rate this album 8/10. A solid effort and great summer album. - Indie Music Essential

The invigorating thing about Crowe’s first album is how raw it sounds. Refraining from studio staples such as auto tune, pro tools and other studio magic, what the listener gets is four guys in a studio playing music because they enjoy it, not because they are trying to make a quick buck. - Coyote Music

Crowe delivers solid vocal performances right throughout this entire track list. When the vocals are matched with strong instrumentals and balanced well we get sweet sounds such as Satellite and Troubadour.
If Crowe can hone their skills and perform like they do on Satellite and Troubadour we will see a brilliant album next time around - Sore Ears-A Blog about Music

Their focus on keeping things simple has produced a sound that fits as well in the current music scene as it would in the music of 40 years ago. The northern music mecca is starting to take notice as they have been playing legendary Toronto venues such as The Horseshoe Tavern, Lee’s Palace, and The Hard Rock Café. Local radio loves Crowe too as they were selected as “Indie Band of the Month” on 102.1 the Edge. - Indie Band Guru

Sophisticated driving Pop. With a certain playfulness, distortion and fun in there... Which makes it something that I really dig

Dave Bookman, Edge 102.1 - Edge 102.1