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On Songs of Straw & Gold:

"This CD turns out to be deeply compelling. By the time Zachary Oberzan actually invokes the name of one of his prime influences, Leonard Cohen, you would have figured it out even if he hadn't said it. For one thing, Oberzan's voice resonates, and not just sonically. For instance, The Dance Absurd is much more up than The Wearing of the Blue, yet you remember Oberzan's tunefully flat delivery first. On Your Folksinger he sounds as if he's about to cry on the opening line. ("You don't know what I've got.") For the first several lines of The Last Thing I Wanted he resembles a man who's just awakened. Then he takes command and makes you listen. Make no mistake, this is very much poetry-as-music, in the tradition of not only Cohen but Oberzan's other major influence, Paul Simon. For me, it's one of those that almost got away, a record to which diligent listening yields undeniable rewards."
--Bennie Green, FACE Magazine

"Oberzan's lyrics express the beauty and absurdity of the human state. He is truly gifted in his unique use of imagery, and his songs take on a mythic quality. Unlike many modern songwriters, he doesn't saturate his music with self-indulgent despair. Instead, his voice is honest, with muted sadness and a sense of humor. Most thoughtful people will relate to this music, and enjoy its tranquil and meditative qualities."
--Stephanie Elliott, Wesleyan University Press

"The writing is magical, abstract and intimate, the work of an introspective and quirky artist."
--Liz Gold, Biddeford Courier

"Listen close, as he peppers in a fair amount of literary references--'hoping for Godot'-- and witty asides."
--Sam Pfiefle, Portland Phoenix

"Oberzan's voice has conviction and sincerity, a light-but-bright timbre, in the high baritone range. He sings the lyrics so clearly that the listener can easily follow--and wants to, so compelling are he words and the melody. He shuns excessive emotion, instead projecting his musicianship with poise and purity of tone."
--Joseph Mauro, Arts & Entertainment, Journal Tribune

On Mighty Above All Things:

"The slightly skewed but fascinating music of Zachary Oberzan bears traces of people like Leonard Cohen and Nick Drake, along with some English folk and pop overtones. Oberzan writes and sings with dramatic flair. His four songs range from black humor to romanticism. The Mess I'm In is a stand out...Mighty Above All Things is an exceptional CD."
--Todd Serling, Shake! Magazine, Nashville

"Zachary Oberzan, who exhibits some English and Celtic folk influences, has his wonderful moments on the CD, especially on his evocotive ballad-style love song, Amelia Earhart."
--Brian Hanrahan, Music of the Midlands, UK

"All in all, this may be one of the best original singer/songwriter compilations in circulation as of late. With the market being saturated by prepackaged mixed records, Wild Oats Music Group's Singer/Songwriter Series album Mighty Above All Things is probably the best bet for fans of grass roots, folk rock, just good music...a much softer vocal style and the use of mouth harp give Oberzan's set a more individualistic feel...he manages to burry his music into the listener's head with the power of Nick Drake."
--Christopher Tanguay, A&E; editor, The Beacon, MA College of Liberal Arts

Live Performance Reviews:

"...his refined, reflective, and focused nature carried through into his performing...people stopped talking to listen, when the lightness of his guitar, the clarity in his voice, and his perfect diction, joined with his intentional, unique pacing of Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye, to absolutely make it his own...Zachary's gentle kind of class lent a very special, pleasant timbre to the Event." [Click here for full review]
--Elizabeth Bacon-Smith, The Leonard Cohen Files