"To me, Brian Whelan will always be the Kid. When he first materialized several years ago at the Cinema Bar, that charmingly crowded, noisy little room in Culver City known as “The World’s Smallest Honky Tonk,” he was an alarmingly boyish presence. At first he stood out because he didn’t look old enough to legally consume the beer he was holding. But he soon distinguished himself as a young lion behind the roots-rock sages – Randy Weeks, Mike Stinson, Tony Gilkyson – whose shows packed out the tiny joint. It became quickly apparent that Brian could play just about anything, and brilliantly; his formidable chops later found him a primo spot in Dwight Yoakam’s band. But he displayed other musical dimensions: He also played in a tough little pop-rock band, known variously as the Brokedown and the Broken West, which recorded a couple of fine records before lamentably breaking up too soon. He fronted another rockin’ unit, Wheelhouse, as a prelude for the album you’re listening to now. It shows off splendidly the many things – singing, playing, writing — that Brian does so exquisitely well. And it cuts across the broad swatch of stylistic turf that he occupies effortlessly, from the rootsy inventions of Gilkyson’s “Mojave High” and Stinson’s “Brand New Love Song” to a group of originals (two of them co-authored by Broken West cohort Ross Flournoy) that to my ears bear favorable comparison to the best of Nick Lowe or the Plimsouls.

Yeah, he’s still the Kid to me. But Brian Whelan’s work is thoroughly mature and emotionally wise, and many another grown-up musician will envy its excellence." - Chris Morris / Host - Watusi Radio / Scion Radio 17

"Brian Whelan‘s most visible gig these days is playing guitar, keys, pedal steel and accordion in Dwight Yoakam’s band, which meant he had a busy 2012 playing on and touring behind Yoakam’s excellent 3 Pears. But Whelan’s new album, Decider, makes a strong case for him stepping out on his own whenever his job permits. There’s an underlying rootsiness to Whelan’s songs but he often steers them into interesting and hooky directions that reveal a deep historical affinity for thoughtful pop. He’s an expressive and versatile singer, able to touch on twang and stir in some soul. His is a sophisticated sort of power pop that nevertheless invites listeners to occasionally shake a leg. Decider spills forth with an energy that suggests the live show should be a corker." - Andrew Dansby, Houston Chronicle

"Brian Whelan makes everything sound so easy — crisp classic rock, tart-and-twangy country, bluesy swagger — that you’d think his first solo outing “Decider” just happened overnight. On the contrary. Whelan’s debut, finally out today via Three Moves Equals a Fire , is the culmination of four years’ work, done here and there as the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist toiled as a side man for some of L.A.’s great talent. He has played (or is playing) with Dwight Yoakam, Chris Shiflett & the Dead Peasants, the Ross Flournoy-led indie bands the Broken West and Apex Manor, Mike Stinson, Randy Weeks, Tony Gilkyson, the Parson Red Heads, Ferraby Lionheart, Correatown and at least a half-dozen more. Stinson and Gilkyson songs turn up on “Decider,” and Flournoy is a co-writer on two as well, but what holds “Decider” together is Whelan’s confident voice — not just his vocals, but his presence, as a guy who knows his way around a song, and his heart, and the ground those two entities share." - Kevin Bronson / Buzzbands.LA

"After spending time in both the Broken West and in Dwight Yoakam’s band, that Decider would sound like it does shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s gorgeously textured powerpop that carries a great deal of vintage Americana influences with it. That the two complement each other to the extent they do is the real achievement here, which is something that posits Whelan, once again, as a songwriter to watch. While the lyrics on Decider don’t take the spotlight, they’re strong enough to indicate that Whelan’s secret weapon may be his understated lyricism, which is evident in songs like “High and Lonesome”." - Steven Spoeri / PopMatters