Every now and then something terrific this way comes…. Wilkes is a major talent. Repeated plays of the record only strengthen that conviction. His songs are robustly crafted, he likes to defy convention and take risks with song structures. Great melodies are matched by sharply observed, intelligent lyrics and the album’s freewheeling arrangements take the listener on journeys beyond the usual folk confines…. Wilkes has created his own sound, has his own angle and is very much his own man. Steeped in contemporary issues Here On This Frontline, like its creator, is hugely welcome. Colin Hall Rock ‘n’ Reel Magazine Time was when all singers at Soho folk hangouts owed debts to Woody Guthrie. Except Wilkes is of today and flavours his songs with French horns and bassoons. MOJO playlist Dec 2007 issue Joe Wilkes is one of those all-too-rare musicians who, when they play, make you believe in them instantly….The great beauty of Here On This Frontline is encapsulated perfectly by the title track, which paints an exotic musical backdrop in front of which is played a poignant love song, born out of tragedy. The whole thing is delivered with such delicacy that it can’t fail to move even the most hardened of cynics….Joe Wilkes doesn’t patronize his audience or trivialize his music, this is a serious album that shines bright. Michael Mee Americana UK Joe Wilkes faces the difficult ‘Second Album Syndrome’ with a superb collection of songs. He has a drop dead gorgeous voice that no doubt gets him regularly ‘Served’ in bars across Europe. Great stuff. Geoff Smiles Classic Rock Society He is very much an emphatic writer. His great use of strings and accordion on the CD gives that soulful sympathetic feel to the songs. There is a great baroque style to some of the tracks. ‘Garden Of The Night’ is a beautifully simple acoustic folk song, with some powerful and poetic lyrics. This is an absolutely beautiful and tragic depiction in words and music…. a folk rooted CD, but in the sense of the feeling portrayed throughout, it is Blues and very much a roots album in a modern presentation. Carol Borrington Blues Matters Two years on from his debut album, the Coventry born singer-songwriter returns with this sophomore offering, his voice seems to have lived a couple of extra decades between albums. It’s clearly a collection of songs hewn from personal depths and doubts, sounding like a man old before his time as he considers loss and transience. On arguably the best track, he sings If I Could Change Everything, I Wouldn\'t Change Anything. Which pretty much encapsulates how you should feel after listening to this. Mike Davies Net Rhythms Contemporary folk isn\'t, as some would have you believe, just about diary singers with emotional baggage. The singer songwriting scene continues to produce new artists with a keen sense of observation and a desire to tackle issues through song without preaching. Joe Wilkes seems infused with a troubadour spirit. He blends his carefully chosen words into an Americana mix, that has more than a hint of Gaelic charm. FATEA An aurally challenging collection - in verse and melody…utterly addictive. Arthur Wood Folkwax He uses beauty as an inspired weapon. Joe Wilkes is a great artist, a shipwrecked person like many of us on the frontline today.” / “La belleza como \"arma inspiradora\"... Joe Wilkes es grande, un náufrago de los nuestros...En pleno \"frente\" cotidiano. Islas de Robinson (Radio 3 Nacional Española) Joe Wilkes’ first album was a breath of fresh air and this follow-up, is just as strong. With an accordion intro that conjures up visions of the tumultuous Paris of 1968, this is a truly atmospheric set. Garden of The Night and If I Could Change Everything, are both soaked in the singer/songwriter’s unique charm with the latter effortlessly, tunefully soaring into all-out rock. Wilkes is till deserving of the spotlight, even on the frontline. Phil Strongman * * * * Hi-Fi Choice Cuts