“...hands down among the top 10 releases of 2011.”

“...towering qualities of Shipe, earning him a place in the gallery of giants next to (Joshes) Rouse or Ritter.”

“...timeless... chill(s) to the bone.”

“...you will undoubtedly fall into the velvet embrace of John Shipe’s 'Villain' ...beautiful and harmonically sensual; a rich combination of musical dexterity and lyrical erudition... a striking record worthy of immediate attention.”

“...incredibly catchy... sublime... This is one Villain that will grow on you.”

“...one of the best voices you’ve probably never heard...”

“Shipe knows how to glue your ears to the speakers.”

“…remarkable vocalist and songsmith…breaks away from the mold.”

“Powerful... nothing short of mesmerizing.”

"Superior... a multitude of delights to be found here."

"...engaging, interesting, and urgent... more than you get from most majors these days."

“His poetic and literate prose moves from the personal to the political with grace.”

“His pipes have a thick intensity that never falters.”

“An explosion of creativity.”

“Shipe has the perfect voice…refreshing topics seduce your ears.”

“I gushed like a hot, bothered groupie... lyrics grip you, make you rewind and turn up the volume.”

“John Shipe threatened to kill me once in one of his songs. But his vocal production and melodies were so bad-ass I didn’t even bother getting a restraining order. HE IS THAT GOOD!”

“….lyrical ingenuity…genre straddling… This album should put to rest any doubts about his talents.”