LiVE REViEWS:

Live-Music-Scene.co.uk
Oxygen Thief @ The Croft
6th August

I just have a few words to say about Oxygen Thief, as I feel his site describes him best, and there is already an interview with him on this site. He is the only acoustic singer who can challenge metal in the noise stakes. Yes you read that right. That night at The Croft, there was Oxygen Thief in the front bar, and metal bands in the back room. When Oxygen Thief was playing, could you hear the screams from next door? No. I’ve never experienced an acoustic singer like this before, and until you see Oxygen Thief live, I don’t think you have. Every song in his set sounds different from the first, so you’re in for a real experience.

CD REViEWS:

Barry Dolan is Oxygen Thief, a one-man acoustic project. Recorded DIY, this is a six-track EP which shows you don't need to have your guitars plugged in to have power and grab attention. While the production is a little rough around the edges, Barry's voice really does the talking - he's loud and aggressive and passionate and when your voice is the only other instrument after a guitar, it's certainly a very good thing. While each of the six tracks is solid, my only complaint would be the hooks perhaps are bot as strong as they could - and maybe should - be. 'Words From red card' is arguably the best song here, a really strong vocal performance which showcases an artist on the verge of good things. Solo acts are ten-a-penny but good ones are hard to find. Oxygen Thief is very much a good one.

DEMO OF THE WEEK - Organart.com

OXYGEN THIEF - We’re in The Best Of Hands - Sometimes something just turns up and in a totally unexpected unanticipated understated way just really impresses. Something that makes everything feel good, that makes life and trawling through demos and dealing with bands and promoters and everything else just a little bit more worthwhile and inviting than it seemed to be yesterday. This fine six track demo just turned up and politely waited in the pile with all the others, took a day or two to reach the top, we know nothing of Bristol’s Oxygen Thief, so it just had to wait there with the other (yeah, we admit it, if something we’ve been anticipating or excited about turns up it gets to jump the queue, everything else waits in line). Oxygen thief wages solo acoustic warfare, something that, following the demise of his previous band, he clearly has to do. He says he sings loud and plays his guitar to within an inch of its life, I de believe him as well, there’s so much energy in here with the passion. Now it would be very lazy of us to throw in names like Frank Turner or Get Cape, does give you a vague idea of where we’re at through. You need to take a little time with Oxygen Thief, you need to let his energy and his craft seep in, this is subtle (and subtle is not overrated) and he’s not going to grab you by the collar and demand you attention from the off, let his intentions shine through though, after a couple of plays you’ll know it was right to do so. This CD has been occupying days of my listening time (while the pile waiting over there waiting grows bigger). Just really good, really positive, energetic committed DIY acoustic emotion and bite and just six fine songs. Thank you Oxygen Thief.  He knows how to make things better, a simple formula to break the pattern...