Not Lame Recording Company, September '08
"Phil Vandermost is a new artist that should be very appealing to many with this light, airy approach to his brand of music not easily slotted as 'power pop;' but certainly appealing to most fans of the genre.
   What is most interesting in the backdrop of his music is the incredibly tasty guitar which shows a strong inspiration from Texas tapmaster, Eric Johnson so fans of his work, will want to check out Vandermost here.
   More commercial leanings like Crowded House and Coldplay come into focus alongside the smooth, engaging melodies and high-soaring vocals. A most pleasant enjoyment to be had, throughout Automatic August. Recommended!"

Muse's Muse website, October '08
"Last weekend turned out to be perfect for Philip Vandermost's melodic rock. A Saturday stretched out before me, the sun was high in the sky and I cued up this set full of punchy and hook-filled songs.
    On Automatic August, Vandermost sings and plays all instruments but drums – Jim Moreland provides the rock steady beat. Vandermost wrote or co-wrote all the songs, often with the help of lyricist Robert Fulton. Vandermost also did the mixing, and this is one of the most expertly blended discs I've heard lately.
    The guitar-drenched "Speak to Me," "So Hi," and "Time After Time" remind me of the string of great Matthew Sweet songs from the mid-'90s, laced with the arena rock presence of U2. "Climb Aboard" rides along on a nice acoustic guitar-and-piano groove, calling to mind Squeeze and Crowded House. "Because" is also piano-heavy, a pleasing mid-tempo ballad with a confident vocal.
    Vandermost delivers several folk-rock statements. "Raining Mondays" has a loping, almost countrified feel. "Carry On" is a positive message delivered with wonderful vocal harmonies. "Since Mountains Have Risen" starts gently and then soars into chiming guitars and an anthemic chorus.
    Vandermost saves one of the best for last: the driving, peppy "Drifting." He closes the song triumphantly by nailing his guitar solo"

Orange County Register, July '08
"Automatic August" features a wealth of material, from the hard-rocking melodic rock of "Speak to Me" and the power pop-mining "Because" to the R.E.M.-meets- Carbon Leaf territory of "Drifting." As evidenced by the winning blend of Vandermost's music and Fulton's lyrics, that creative pairing quickly led to an album's worth of strong material penned between December 2007 and February 2008."