“King Ropes’ fourth album carves out idiosyncratic intersections between rocky rock and rustic roots. After spending years in L.A. and Brooklyn, (Dave Hollier) returned (home), yearning to mingle vibrant urban energy with Montana’s vast rugged spaces. If Gram Parsons cast “cosmic country,” Hollier is cosmic rock-western; not Tex Ritter, more like spacy, discombobulated art rock and folk-pop. The most striking offerings, such as the slinky “Needles” or off-kilter “Big Man on TV,” combine whacked out, wide open atmospheres as vastly odd as his Mountain west. This concurrence of fragrant folk, chamber piano/violin beauty, americana, art-pop, and western limitlessness is as restless as the “The Last Best Place” itself.”

“[Magical Floating Eye] is certainly an intriguing door into (King Ropes’) softly weird world… There’s a little of Kurt Wagner’s husky, declamatory warmth and observation to their thang; a touch of the Malkmus absurds, a little Mr E, too; all wrapped up in a surreal flow and groovily slacker guitars and mellotron that seeps into your brain, epiphany and extrapolated imagery, free-associating lyrical flow: “A magical floating eye on a blue plate hanging on a wall in a motel in Deer Lodge, Montana / Might make you free… ”

“Lo-fi Americana/psych outfit King Ropes evoke the striking and expansive landscapes of their native Montana, offering up a homebrew of caustic folk yarns and chunky garage rockers. The band deftly balances thrilling guitar riffs with more nuanced arrangements that crawl under your skin and take up permanent residence. Feedback roars with an unexpected ferocity across these tracks, jolting tempos into the upper atmospheres.

With their new single, “Halfway Did”, the band lopes through a selection of roughhewn rock territories, with Hollier’s compelling voice channeling the odd angles of Lou Reed and Bob Mould. The guitars are prickly and aggrieved as the drums batter away at your senses. ”

“Occupying the same melodic space as Purple Mountains or Lambchop, [‘Girls Like Us’] sways with an inherent grace and echoes through the deep chambers of your heart.”

“ [The] stellar but vastly under-appreciated rock outfit King Ropes’ new album, Gravity and Friction, [offers] a goldmine of tracks that persevere to the true essence of what a meaningful indie band should and always be— eclectic, un-cliche, mood swinging, shades of psychedelic and yes— sad in all the best ways.”

“Go Back Where They Came, the new album from King Ropes, the rock band with leanings into the Americana roots with taut trombone mixed in select tracks, astounds and delivers (with) a solid collection of cover songs.”

“...there are enough dynamic and quirky edges on songs like ‘International Shortwave’ to sustain the album and make me wonder what Hollier is going to do next.”

“Just as chilling as on a bone cold night, or on a hot summer’s evening, this rendition [of ‘Neighborhood #4 (Seven Kettles)’] swoons. The tone and the majesty in this song is breathtaking. As a band, King Rope certainly didn’t write this song, nor any of the tracks, but the listener has a true sense of where they’re from, and where their journey will take them.”

“[King Ropes’] version of ‘Girls Like Us’ by Mike Ferrio’s Tandy...[takes] the slow burn country spirit of the original...into a newly vivid territory. King Ropes offer[s] a brighter song...a longevity to the light in the track—a summer’s dusk where the sun’s honeyed drop does not come with the same sense of loss.
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“King Ropes are able to refresh the vocal snarl of Mick Jagger and Lou Reed, while weaving through cogent instrumental arrangements. ‘Dirt’ has a number of different styles that the band includes, but the cohesion of the release is considerable...”