"...A songwriter of the very highest quality...The basic elegiac sound of the album comes particularly to the fore in "I Dream", a telling affirmation of a better world with the stuff of a cult song...Wates' sympathetic, light husky voice fits perfectly, and he is also a virtuoso with the guitar." (Stefan Schmoe, Music Online)

Wates' voice sounds like a clearer and more theatrical Gordon Lightfoot...Each song is a single piece, without any blending into each other, the mark of a true tunesmith. Wates definitely has a way with words, thought structures, melody lines and musicianship, and I truly believe this is worth a listen" (Jim Testa, www.jerseybeat.com)

"One of the best CDs of 2008" (Jon Sirkis, Indie Acoustic Project)

'Man, this guy sings from the heart and then some! Carrying on the most fundamental and irreducible aspects of the troubadour/balladeer/protester, Rupert Wates is a glorious throwback to the old Woody, Pete, Phil Ochs days filtered through a bit of Harry Chapin, English strains, and Bruce Cockburn. Enlisting the wondrous bassist Michael Manring and percussionist Chris Howard, he keeps to spare but vibrant atmospheres - and Howard is quite the offest complement to Manring's sinuous lines. This is Wates' third release and it's a completely authentic work that would be more expected of a 30-year old road and studio vet...There's a secret to the immediacy of this set, though: every song was captured straight out, no overdubs, and most of them in a single run-through. A lot of great music has been made in this fashion, and Dear Life joins the august. Each song yanks the listener fully into the story and rhythms, not to mention an emotionality imbuing Wates' plaintively melodic voice. Every cut's a gem, completely absorbing, enthralling, and thus we have a new and unique songwriter-musician already in the front ranks...Trust me, Rupert Wates is an exceedingly rare talent' (Mark S Tucker, for Folk And Acoustic Music Exchange)