“Scott Whiddon steps out on his own after several projects with his power pop group Palisades. The result is a collection of dreamy songs in the indie-folk vein, replete with tuneful melodies, sharp lyrics and shimmery guitar playing. The production is crystal clear and musicianship top-notch throughout. It’s music for a quieter mood, immersive and thought-provoking. Fine stuff.”

—Steve Baron, owner, CD Central (Lexington, KY)

“Scott Whiddon’s economical take on power pop’s softer aspects is breath of fresh air. It is music made by a human being, one where errant squeaks of acoustic guitar strings mingle with an occasional swarm of warm synths out of which his soft voice emerges, neither cooing or preening but opening his heart up. In Close Quarters with the Enemy indeed brings him in close, like you and he are in a childhood treehouse again after all these years, with any enemy left forgotten on the ground.”

—Alex V Cook, author of Darkness, Racket and Twang – Essential Listening from the Fringes of Popular and Unpopular Music and guitarist for The Rakers

“Scott Whiddon’s In Close Quarters with the Enemy is a fabulous love letter to the past. With tasteful sentimentality, remorse, and reflection, Whiddon manages to cultivate a set of songs that reminds us of the bare guitar melodies of Big Star, while also providing cautious optimism of lyricists such as Glen Phillips. A modern record that captures the unique sound of the Northern South, this is an outstanding collection of songs.”

—Duncan Barlow, author of The City, Awake and guitarist for By the Grace of God, Endpoint, and other projects