“One of the country’s best songwriters.”
“[Houlahan] has a touch of Fred Neil sincerity & imbues his tunes with presence.”
“Near the top of must see and hear indie singer-songwriters.”
“His eccentricities and musical detours are exactly what makes this album most appealing.” - Declan Culliton
“‘The Wheel Still in Spin’ is an album that warrants repeated listening, and will hopefully expose James Houlahan to a broader audience hungry for adventurous folk music – grounded, yet brave enough to wade into the deep end of experimentation.” - Mike Elliott
“Personal yet universal, introspective and dreamlike.”
“Paints a stunning romanticized vision of the West.” - Krissy Brown
“His record is simultaneously forlorn as it is warm and enveloping. ” - Alex Gallacher
“Houlahan is one of those gifted songwriters which has to write, has to play and has to sing. It doesn’t matter if anyone’s listening or not. He going to sing for himself first, if there are ten, 100, or 1,000 listeners in front of him even better. He’s going to sing his songs regardless.” - King Cliché
“[Houlahan’s] songwriting eccentricities add serious vibrance to the mosaic. James seems to be a veritable encyclopedia of folk music, ranging from traditional to futuristic, comforting to wonderfully strange…his entries are extraordinary no matter which folk/American direction he goes in. This is the kind of music that any craver of pure songwriting prowess is bound to enjoy.” - MW