Michael Gutierrez-May

“Michael Gutierrez-May's 4th album, 'Drifting to the Right,' has 9 powerful and thought provoking indie folk tracks. With each song comes a story based in reality, inspired by the political upheaval and self-knowledge that Michael has experienced. His background as a therapist informs his lyrics, creating characters based in empathy and humanity.” - Taylor Williams

“The album ends with the song, “Imaginary Tomato,” where he sings, “I threw an imaginary tomato at the Trump International Hotel.” From there, the song – accompanied again by Goodwin's guitar – explores the corrupting influence of rage, how, “Even an army of deadly nightshades couldn’t straighten this thing out.” All your left with is rage, which is pretty much where this album began. It's the kind of rage that feeds on itself, and consumes everything it touches, especially the person carrying it. Gutierrez-May handles that rage gingerly, and while his songs might seem unusual, his perspective and empathy resonate beautifully.” - Victor Infante

“Drifting to The Right is a pointed and reflective album inspired by political upheaval and self-knowledge. This is Mike’s strongest and most serious collection of songs, and the 9-song album benefits from polished production, courtesy of veteran musician Stephen B. Martin, a former member of the soft rock band Orpheus. Drifting to The Right also boasts 11 special guests, including former Joe Cocker musical director and guitarist Cliff Goodwin” - Aiden Faire

“The lyric video for Michael Guteirrez-May's lyric video for "Imaginary Tomato is wonderfully stylized.The lyric video is quite animated. The lyrics are guided by a tomato, but the tomato is telling the story to the viewer. It dances around the screen, guiding your eyes to the words and direction the words go. It’s the most telling lyric video I’ve ever seen.” - Jane Lambert

“Michael Gutierrez-May's single ¨Drifting to the Right¨ comes from his new album of the same title. The song is a beautifully crafted acoustic song inspired by a friend of Gutierrez-May who commented he was ¨drifting to the right¨ after talking with him. This thoughtful and empathetic song is strong in the tradition of American folk and country music, with its characteristic guitar strums and vocals. The listener is intrigued to hear more and, as the song develops, there are more elements like the haunting backing vocals and piano. Influences include Paul Simon, Stevie Winwood and Bruce Springsteen. Comparisons have been made to other artists such as Jeffrey Lewis, Paul Simon and Phil Ochs.” - Ali Hudson

“Michael is a gifted storyteller, writing lyrics that make you stop and think about people and the world around us. His background as a mental health therapist informs all aspects of his music. His latest album, Drifting to the Right, is his 4th album and boasts of 9 songs and 11 special guests, including former Joe Cocker musical director and guitarist Cliff Goodwin and vocalist Colette O’Connor. Drifting to the Right is a commentary of the political upheaval and self-knowledge. More than half of the songs speak on the state of politics, while only a few speak on more personal issues. The song “Drifting to the Right” is about how someone’s anger leads them to the political right. Its harmonic and country-folk sound reveal a sadness to it, that people are moved by internal forces as much as they are by external ones.” - Stephen Vicino

“Michael Gutierrez May just recently dropped his latest album, “Drifting to the Right”, and it is something you will want to sink your ears into. Fusing elements of americana, indie-folk, and adult contemporary music, May is an emerging artist you do not want to miss. This album will take you on an endless journey with seamless storytelling along the way. ”

“Drifting to the Right opens with his spoken word song “Brooklyn for Beginners,” an ode to the borough. He utilizes sound effects in a beautiful way that aids in his story and is accompanied by the piano and acoustic guitar. The title song, “Drifting to the Right,” takes on the alternative country sounds and minor chord progressions, telling the story of a man whose anger pushes him towards the political right. However, Michael doesn’t villainize that, rather, he uses psychotherapy to create a compassionate and empathetic feeling towards this character.” - Emily Hinde