" ... he regulates his expressive engine productively on old-school rockin' showpiece "'68 Coupe Deville" and nine more quality originals. An above-average singer and guitarist, Johnson follows a familiar Southern blues-rock-soul road until unexpectedly swerving off course with closer "The Band." It's a fantastic place, divided between Curtis Mayfield soul turf and south-of-the-border territory inhabited by jazz-savvy horn players and others from St. Louis along with Johnson himself, seeming to possess all manners of Santana-ish magical powers"

"In summary, Hi-Fi Drive By is a roots-oriented album focused on reclaiming and celebrating the core and already long established elements of blues and rock, and while this approach may seem a bit raw and straightforward for some, the magnetism and quality of Johnson's passionate approach are undeniable"