Press

Paste Magazine:

BEST NEW ALBUMS - PASTE

“Larson’s rich tenor is a thing to behold and is ultimately what elevates this project to its many spectacular heights. At times it can feel as if Jim James’ buttery croon was folded in with Van Morrison’s penchant for taking courageous melodic risks.”

“With Ruthless, Larson has established himself as a captivating balladeer and a meticulous craftsman. It’s an impressive debut in a way that truly matters. Larson and Waldemar have put in the work to frequently make great statements that inspire excitement on what they could build next.”

NEW NOISE MAGAZINE:

4/5

“Written with depth and sophistication, each song on this album feels as though every note is intentional.”

Glide Magazine:

“Five years in the making, Ruthless – the debut LP from Wisconsin’s Waldemar – is a beautifully atmospheric album of indie rock with elements of folk and Americana mixed throughout.”

Volume One:

“The album is a big, dreamy, intricately woven soundscape. Powerful waves of guitar, drums, and synthesizer break against Larson’s soaring, plaintive, nearly righteous vocals and lyrics.

This feels like an album that was a long time coming, an album that absolutely could not have been realized quickly, an album that needed to be crafted over good times and bad, in low states of depression and peaks of confidence and discovery.” - Nickolas Butler

Ink 19:

“Who Waldemar doesn’t sound like, is a band trying to mimic anyone. It’s authentic music, as unpretentious as the heartland.”

WildFire Music:

“Larson loads the songs with intricate lyrics but vocals are as much a part of the songs as the instrumentation, creating layers of mood.

Larson blends realism and heightened emotion drawn from life with a meditative quality.”

Uproxx:

"...an EP that redefines the bounds of an old genre by excavating personal histories while still insisting on moving forward."

WPR:

"The Visions EP is painting with sound"

"This 4 song set has hills & valleys, huge vistas in the choral vocal arrangements, rocky canyons in the percussion, sun-speckled forest canopy in the horns and a winding river of ambient guitar work.   When singer/songwriter Gabe Larson’s voice rises and verse releases to chorus, he wants us to feel it in our chests."

Dusted Magazine:

"This is the biggest, most fully realized, most ready for prime time self-release I’ve heard in a while."

Impose Magazine:

“Visions is a transcendental, ethereal treat, creating an atmosphere of tension and emotion. Vocals that fill rooms do the same for creating near-spiritual chills throughout, of which we’ve always found an indication of intentional and inspired design."

Breaking and Entering:

"The song begins with sweeping, emotional vocal takes, and in a flip of a switch, goes from potential energy to kinetic. “Visions” sounds like the type of track that would place the band smack dab in the middle of the Eaux Claires lineup, and they are more than worthy of that distinction. The video features striking visuals, and accurately portrays the serenity of the song."