Spin (11/99, p.193) - 7 out of 10 - "...His delivery becomes its own kind of theater: It's the sound of someone desperate enough to scream - for blood, for truth, for anything that's real. It's those transformations...that light up Harper's dauntingly eclectic fourth effort..."
Q (11/99, p.124) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...On a song called 'Forgiven' he uses his muscle in surging bursts, counterpointing quiet acoustic verses to catch the turmoil of his preoccupation with earthly wickedness and divine grace..."
Mojo (Publisher) (10/99, p.120) - "...the hoarse entreaties, the uncoiling curls of slide guitar, the religiose imagery, the smouldering verses bursting into flaming choruses - [are] all present on [BURN], along with several new features that suggest the guitarist's trying to broaden his stylistic palette."
Rovi
Burn to Shine presents proof positive that you can always distill the essence of rock & roll down to a solitary man alone with his guitar and conscience. It sounds inventive yet firmly rooted in the blues-rock singer/songwriter/guitarist tradition of Taj Mahal and of Neil Young and Cat Stevens at their most confessional. Harper's guitar with falsetto vocal in "The Woman in You" even suggests a Curtis Mayfield tune in the hands of Prince. "Steal My Kisses" is one of those uncluttered, radio-friendly rock shuffles that simply makes you bob your head and feel better. Even Harper's detours -- like the wobbling New Orleans shuffle with the Real Time Jazz Band, "Suzie Blue," and charred Black Sabbath metal in "Less" -- prove worth exploring. Other cameos include guitarists David Lindley and former Bob Marley sideman Tyrone Downey. Burn to Shine is a minor masterpiece that may prove to be not so minor. ~ Chris Slawecki
Rovi