From NightTimes Magazine - November 2005
THE WELL WISHERS - Under The Arrows
(Not Lame Recordings)

Californian Jeff Shelton has done his bit for the pop underground cause. Whether it is with the Who-channeling power trio The Spinning Jennies or his current incarnation, the slightly poppier Well Wishers, Shelton’s craft has never been too far from discerning power pop fan’s preferred listening habits. Now, the Well Wishers has blessed us with a sophomore effort, Under the Arrows. Essentially, if you enjoyed the fine debut release then, you will certainly thrill to Shelton’s concoction of melodic hooks, jaunty rhythms and power chords. There is also a higher level of poignant folky moments e.g. “Before the Race Was Run,” “Lost At Sea,” and “Lucky You” which provides a good change of pace. For me, it's Shelton’s healthy approximation of the Guided by Voices oeuvre with “In Search Of Alter Egos,” “Break It Up” and “Brain Trust Odyssey (now doesn’t that even sound like a Robert Pollard title?) that makes Under the Arrows a worthy investment

From AllMusic.Com - January 2006
THE WELL WISHERS - Under The Arrows
(Not Lame Recordings)

Under the Arrows, the second album from Spinning Jennies frontman Jeff Shelton's band the Well Wishers, picks up pretty much exactly where their debut, Twenty-Four Seven, left off. Tight power pop tunes melt with jangly guitars and steady drums in one big tribute to Matthew Sweet, the Posies, and Big Black. This means that it's nearly impossible for Under the Arrows to be a bad record, but it also means that's it's not much more than anything that any of the aforementioned artists ever released. The Well Wishers know the basics and they stick to them. Shelton, who writes and sings all of the songs as well as plays most of the instruments on the album, is well versed in writing catchy hooks perfect for summer days and forgetting regrets; it's hard not to hum along to every track after even only one listen, because they all seem like something you've already heard before but can't quite place. "In Search of Alter Egos" could be from a Guided By Voices record, "Only Sky," with its hook "and who states the obvious like I do?/I need you," sounds a whole lot like R.E.M., the chorus of "Lucky You" is very reminiscent of something by Oasis, and "Fourth of July" is just like that song by the guy from the Blasters, Dave Alvin. Oh wait, it is that song. But these resemblances are only a problem if you're looking for something new, experimental, and groundbreaking. If you just want something that's full of fun, unpretentious power pop, Under the Arrows could be the perfect album.
- Marisa Brown

From Amplifier Magazine - Aug/Sep 2004
THE WELL WISHERS - Twenty-Four Seven
(Not Lame Recordings)

For many musicians, it would be damned near impossible to change their signature sound mid-career without sounding like genre-dabbling goofballs. Think about it: Norah Jones as a snarling punk princess? Uh, no. Motorhead goes alt-country? Ain't gonna happen, Bubba. Spinning Jennies' frontman Jeff Shelton hasn't gone quite to those imaginary extremes, but he has taken a leave of absence from the Jennies' meat-and-taters power pop sound to attempt to somewhat reinvent himself musically with the always-catchy and entertaining Well Wishers. Rather than those early Shoes comparisons that Spinning Jennies were racking up like mad early in their career, the Well Wishers' debut effort sounds more like classic Posies (you remember, back before they spit, swore and acted too cool for their audience). Hell, "Bleed on the Outside"---in addition to being a hooky little gem that deftly combines acoustic and electric guitars and sports an amazingly swell pre-chorus and chorus---even sounds like a Posies song title. And "The Game" (no, it's not the Queen ditty) is even finer, with a fresh, acoustic backdrop and a lovely, understated lead vocal from Shelton, who handles nearly every instrument and vocal on the album himself. Of course, since old habits die hard, there are a few tracks that wouldn't seem out of place on a Spinning Jennies record, and these might be the best rockers that Shelton has ever tracked: the disc-opening "See For the First Time" and "Bustin' Up" both exude buttloads of energy and pop sass. And for variety's sake, there's also a speedy country shuffle and a string-laden confessional ballad. While TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN might be more of a case of musical palette broadening than a true search for a new sound, it's still an unqualified success.
- John M. Borack

From Fufkin.com - Summer 2004
This is a side project that stands as tall as the artist's regular work. Jeff Shelton of Spinning Jennies doesn't take a gigantic stylistic detour -- so this isn't a sudden turn to Nick Cave style blues or a revelation of jam band aspirations (thankfully!). Instead, this is a step towards a (relatively) quieter brand of power pop. As such, Shelton will garner even more Posies comparisons than ever. You see, Shelton is blessed with a singing voice that's two parts Stringfellow and one part Auer, and since he clearly shares similar influences to that duo, his songs frequently sound Posie-esque. Fortunately, his songs are good enough that The Well Wishers do not suffer by comparison. There are, of course, subtle differences that reflect Shelton's specific mojo, which comes through a bit more on the true rockers on the album and one ultracool change up. That's the loping country-tinged "Something on Your Mind", augmented by both pedal steel (courtesy of Tom Heyman) and a Mike Nesmith sensibility (courtesy of Shelton). If the song was content to be a sweet shuffling ditty, that would have been fine, but throw in the a middle eight with heavy guitar chords followed by a pretty instrumental section, and it's a truly inspired effort. Equally inspired is "Bustin' Up", which isn't too far from what the Spinning Jennies do so well. The song sounds to me like a cross between Buzzcocks and Tsar or Silver Sun, with a really cool keyboard part thrown in for good measure. It's ultracatchy. These songs fit well with the strumming acoustic tunes that form the bulk of the album, like "Lines You've Crossed", which pulses along nicely, "Press Begin to Play", a more dramatic tune with a particularly strong lead vocal, nifty chord changes, and a smart arrangement to add to intent nature of the song, and "One Sweet Nothing", which is simply playful. It should be noted that on the more serious numbers, Shelton's lyrics are accordingly more ambitious. And just like The Posies, this sometimes works, and at times, things get a bit clunky. However, the music is so strong, that this is a minor issue. This will likely be considered one of the best power pop albums of 2004.
- Michael Bennett

From All Music Guide - Spring 2004
Essentially a solo project for Spinning Jennies frontman Jeff Shelton, the Well Wishers' Twenty-Four Seven is a blissed-out smack of honey that's fueled by late-summer sunsets and misguided road trips. Power pop, while disposable, is hard to throw away when it sounds this good. From the very first lick it's evident that Shelton knows how to sink a hook into you. "See for the First Time" delivers the same kind of instantly gratifying melody that made Brendan Benson's "Tiny Spark" such a pop underground hit — both songs celebrate the heavy guitar/analog synth interplay that the Cars perfected 20 years ago. Vocally, Shelton has the kind of fluid, vibrato-less croon that so many singers yearn for, so comparisons to Andy Partridge are inevitable, but the punchy production and tube-blown sound of tracks like "Sex & the Suburbs" and "Bustin Up" owe more to Cheap Trick and the Posies than they do to XTC. He breaks out of the mold occasionally with wistful ballads ("Dead Again") and country-rockers ("Something on Your Mind"), but rarely deviates from the pool of hummable melodies and hooks that has so obviously influenced him since his first Kiss record. There's honestly not a bad song on the album, and despite the occasional detour into teeth-rotting lyrics like "Drop me a note/Send me a line/Bring me good wishes from my lonely, funny valentine," the joy that went into making these delicious morsels is evident throughout, resulting in a great collection of songs to make out, break up, and get nasty in the back of an El Camino to.
— James Christopher Monger

From The Power of Pop - August 2004
How can anyone get tired of the sheer musical passion and melodic intensity that quality power pop offers? Chiming Rickenbacker arpeggios, charming tunes, power chord dynamics, walls of harmonies, frenetic drum work, jaunty rhythms, orchestral constructs – there is no limit to what artistic power pop can sound like. As much as I enjoyed the work of Jeff Shelton’s Spinning Jennies, I’ve always thought that Jeff could do much more than the driving guitar pop that his group excelled in. I was right! The Well Wishers is essentially Jeff in charge with assistance from Nick Laquintano, Tom Heyman and Justin Weis and the result is perhaps one of the best power pop albums of the year. With Twenty-four Seven, Jeff casts his net wider to include nods to Macca – the pleasant ditty that is “One Sweet Nothing,” Guided By Voices channeling the Who – the beaty and bouncy “See For the First Time,” Robyn Hitchcock – the mildly psychedelic “Golden Arrow,” the Zombies – the baroque splendor that is “Dead Again,” Jayhawks – the nu-country nugget that is “Something On Your Mind” and Bob Mould interpreting the Byrds with the vigorous folk-pop of “Bleed on the Outside.” Great references as these influences are, Jeff’s crowning achievement is to sustain a consistent flow throughout to produce a kaleidoscopic presentation of our beloved artform. Grade: A-
- Kevin Matthews

From Shredding Paper - Fall 2004
Jeff Shelton has been doing his thing in the SF Bay Area with the Spinning Jennies for a long time now, and this side project doesn’t stray too far from the Jennies in many respects. If anything the Spinning Jennies are more reliant on charging guitars, and this disc has some decidedly quiet moments. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some decidedly powerpop tunes on here, like the opening track “See For the First Time” and “Bustin’ Up”, which rely on the guitars to carry the melody and feel of the songs. But there are also quieter strumming guitar tunes that slow down the pace and sound much more like the Posies than Buzzcocks. There are some fun changes that hit some of the songs in midstream, with interesting breaks that take the songs in a different direction. An added piano, or a time change here and there, whatever it takes, Shelton is willing to experiment. This is a fun disc and it should make for a lot of top ten lists among pop fans.

From PopMatters - July 2004
Click the above link for the full review...replete with reviewer Zeth Lundy's extensive use of the mighty metaphor.

From Two Louies Magazine - Summer 2004
Like a hot rod convertible cruising Highway 101 in August, The Well Wishers’ new release Twenty Four Seven showcases the Summery fun of power pop in a Posies/Matthew Sweet kind of way. With a rich jangle of acoustic and electric guitars driven by the warmth and presence of delicious arrangements, Twenty Four Seven is like a ‘round the clock’ craving that won’t leave your brain; offering joyous melodies and bittersweet lyrical settings. Designed as a musical diversion for The Spinning Jennies bandleader Jeff Shelton, the new band The Well Wishers sets out to explore Shelton’s soloist side. What Twenty Four Seven really does though, is accentuate the fact that Shelton has an endless supply of commercially viable, passionately written, power pop songs. If only a diversion, then The Well Wishers have surpassed their mandate. If Twenty Four Seven is a showcase for Shelton’s exceptional style of pop however, then their wish has been granted.
- Fran Gray