CvilleWeekly
"Hot Springs is remarkably coherent; a testament to the consistency of Brock’s talent and aesthetic vision. His greatest skill as a songwriter and performer has always been the ability to put forward in odd, obscure, or downright impenetrable narrative conceits and conceptual whims in the form of breezy, largely unchallenging power-pop....'Wing Stroke' is stripped-down and simpler, but may be the record’s high point; yowling, yelping lines are interspersed with clear, straight-forward ones, as Brock wildly intones 'I could waste my days in here/I might drink my weight in tears.' 'Fine Lines' concludes the side with a credible soundalike of Roxy Music or vintage Bowie."
"There’s a caffeinated jitter just under the surface on even the tenderest, feyest indie-pop intervals of Stellar Hoax... you can hear a hint of Danielson’s existential glee in the way that Brock’s voice frays at the high end into sheer vibrating euphoria."
NoFearofPop.net
"Julie by Borrowed Beams of Light (whose mastermind Adam Brock is Invisible Hand's drummer) might well be this year's most innocent and most beautiful love song, three minutes of absolutely heartbreaking longing..."
7inches.blogspot.com
The Borrowed Beams of Light side starts out with "Julie (What's that spell?)" which jumps back musically at least a good 30 years, and it's a little scary that not one person in either of these bands was probably even born in the 70's, let alone have grown up absorbing this music in their formative years, so how in the hell did they completely nail this sound? This one is truly a lost recording of a forgotten Posies style, nearly import band. Sort of smooth psyche, a layered far off vocal with plenty of chorus-y guitar. There's just a far off feel... super classic, almost easy listening prog rock, that could easily be disguised in a k-tel reissue...it's practically a period piece. A Sunday afternoon AM track that's inherently sad just in the way it's put together with the vocal distance
WeeklyTapeDeck.com
“Adam of Borrowed Beams of Light sent us their new eponymous EP which hits a high with the track ‘Kids Are Great!!!’ five-sixths of the way through the record; a jumping, jiving track in the key of stone-washed denim. The Virginian duo promises to be a band to watch for the future.”
WhiteGuysWithBeards.com
“Oh wow this record is great.”
“Charlottesville VA’s Borrowed Beams Of Light play self-described ‘sunny indie pop’ and personally I am at a loss to come up with a more fitting description.”
GetOfftheCoast.blogspot.com
“Charlottesville, VA resident Adam Brock, aka Borrowed Beams of Light recently sent over his self-titled EP, and it is fucking incredible. Adam's initial description of the album called it ‘Village Green era Kinks meets Destroyer’ and that couldn't be more spot-on. DO NOT MISS OUT ON THIS.”
The Breeze...JMU Student Newspaper
"Front-man Adam Brock, of Borrowed Beams of Light, sang like a wild animal was trapped inside of him and was clawing to get out. His band created an auditory assault that bludgeoned listeners over the head with sunbeams." MACRoCK review
BeatTheIndieDrum.com
"Adam claims to be influenced by Village-era Kinks and Destroyer; this EP is as good as that sounds."
WTJURock.blogspot.com
“Borrowed Beams of Light – self-released – Unbridled exuberance, like if Bowie’s ‘Five Years’ was a happy song. Surrender Dorothy – to the sun!!! “
“holy smokes this record is good. anytime you can start talking about the kinks, guided by voices, the flaming lips, etc. and not be talking about anything being derivative, then something good is going on. when will this great band break worldwide? only time will tell. incredibly sharp lyrics that don't ever forget about melody and harmony, and also songs that remember what a bridge is for. am i done gushing? for now perhaps..."
"This year I am thankful for the sun, the moon, and BBOL."
The Hook
"Adam Brock and Nate Walsh make BIG music inspired by sci-fi reveries and glam glitz. That they've only played a pair of concerts in town in a year only adds to their myth. This is perfect top-down music, epic in scope and honest at heart." --Dominic Devito, WTJU...in the 12 Bands to Watch in 2010 story
Cville Weekly
"Borrowed Beams of Light—Brock’s decidedly low-stress, high-quality solo project—proves that one of Charlottesville’s most gifted drummers may also write the curviest hooks...splits the pocket symphony pop of bands like Destroyer with the Village Green-ery of The Kinks."