“Mike Spine is restless and relentless. There’s really no overlooking this fact in the face of Coalminers & Moonshiners. Its very existence is owed to that fact. Spine simply had too much great material on his plate that didn’t fit in with his excellent main project, punk band At the Spine. That he decided to go ahead and release the down-trodden low-key folk songs as a separate entity is a very welcome surprise, especially considering how adept he is in that songwriting mode. Everything on Coalminers & Moonshiners works spectacularly. It even inexplicably manages to never overstay its welcome, even at 14 tracks in length. The level of songwriting and arrangement skill on display throughout its entirety is not only admirable but enviable.” (Pop Matters, Evanston, IL)

“The earnest traditions of Guthrie and Seeger meet the gritty swagger of Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams in the form of The Beautiful Sunsets and Coalminers & Moonshiners. From the Pacific Northwest, The Beautiful Sunsets deliver tales of America. Dreamlike and angsty, Utopic and rational, Coalminers & Moonshiners showcases The Beautiful Sunsets’ noteworthy, often familiar folk melodies, propelled by rich harmonies and intelligent lyrics that transform and transcend each time you listen.” (Innocent Words Magazine, Oakwood, IL)

“Beautifully harmonic and brimming with a haunting feeling of despair, this album makes for a profoundly moving listening experience. The delicately dulcet vocals project a quiet, yet still strong feeling of angst, sadness, and regret. The equally fragile and pretty folksy melodies likewise further capture and convey the overall melancholy mood with bracing clarity and conviction. Moreover, the sharp lyrics vividly present the bitter hard-scrabble lives of impoverished folks who have to struggle in order to barely scrape by. A very fine and touching little jewel.” (Jersey Beat, Weehawken, NJ)