Excerpt: “Turn the clock back a few years and most people were convinced there was something in the water in WA because of the sheer number of excellent acts who called that piece of Australia home. Fast forward to 2010 and it seems our short attention spans have been diverted elsewhere in the search of the source of the ‘next big thing’. A Million Square Miles is a compilation…. Drawing together 16 tracks from eight artists, it successfully navigates the folk, indie pop and rock genres….A Million Square Miles is a pleasing and mellow offering that is easy-on-the-ear and reaffirms the fact that there is something in the water out west.”

The Dwarf

Excerpt: “This is the rare exhibition of musical aptitude that delights from start to finish, with nary a disappointment to be found.  Being tagged by some as Australia’s answer to the British label 4AD, Hidden Shoal (HSR) does indeed specialize in a brand of music that places atmosphere, ambience, and texture high on the priority list.  With an onslaught of reverb and delay effects that would put the Edge to shame, this album features eight acts that run the gamut from quirky playfulness (Toby Richardson) to hypnotic melodrama (My Majestic Star). Hidden Shoals’ impressive roster on A Million Square Miles is bound to shore up some buzz, and deservedly so:  it’s an exhilarating listen from beginning to end.”
Adequacy.net

Excerpt: “Richardson is sort of a Robert Pollard-styled musician, but here’s also glimpses of J Mascis’ guitar sound. Musically Evergreen is psychedelic, lo-fi, indie-rock, with a touch of late 1960s/early 1970s fuzzed and dirty psychedelic blues-rock. Jimi Hendrix comes to mind. Beefheart is mentioned in the press sheets. Along with Sebadoh, Pavement, and the aforementioned Pollard and Mascis, this makes sort of a schizophrenic mixture. But, it’s for sure an exciting blend.”

Luna Kafe 

Excerpt: “I’m surprised that more people haven’t been talking about Toby Richardson. Take some of the bluesy aspects of Captain Beefheart and mix it with some ’90s college rock sensibilities and you’ve got the Toby Richardson sound. Fuzzed-out lo-fi classic rock is the order of the day, and Toby pulls off this slight ’60s pastiche with panache… By the time you reach the last song, it’s hard not to feel slightly overwhelmed as it is such an exaggerated sound, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t want to simply take a break, and start over again, as its exaggeration is laced with an addictive quality that will have you coming back for more.”

It’s Not The Band I Hate It’s Their Fans