“The best solo pop album since Todd Rundgren's amazing tour-de-force, Something/Anything.”

“Hopeful Monster is all about the Zombies, Rundgren, Lilys, Love, Wilson and Parsons. ... It’s full to the very last note, and hard to imagine a better Elephant 6 record not made by those Athens/Denver collective.”

“Some recording projects just seem to have a miraculous touch to them, and JBall’s debut as Hopeful Monster is one of those. ... A remarkable debut.”

“With one foot in the ‘60s Space Age and the other in a desert sand dune, Ball has created a beguiling sound for his Hopeful Monster.”

“Hopeful Monster...delivers synth lines conjuring Grandaddy's bounce and emotive melodies that breeze over measured computer buzzes with the earnestness of the Postal Service.”

“Imagine the Banana Splits taking over from Brian Wilson after his late-’60s meltdown, but fronted by the Zombies’ Colin Blundstone.”

“Man, you'll throw away your guitar and give up... When this album—this band—are good, they're almost unparallelled.”