"Heterotopia is, indeed, an opera, and it operates on an oceanic scale. The music is fluid and prismatic, churning through knotty riffs and shimmery hooks before coming to rest, briefly, in sublime moments of repose." | NPR
"Lainey Schooltree spent years putting together a 100-minute double album telling the tale of Suzi, a dreamer and underachiever who loses her body and has to take a trip through the collective unconscious to retrieve it. Yup, it’s wild — think less 'Hair,' more Genesis’ 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.' " | The Herald
"There’s no question who released the year’s most ambitious album on the local scene. That would be Lainey Schooltree, who conjured the 24-song art-rock opus Heterotopia." | Improper Bostonian, "10 Local Acts Making Waves"
"It's philosophy with a backbeat." | Telegram & Gazette
"[Heterotopia] just never tires. It's still giving up its secrets, such is the range and depth of material on display." | Fireworks Magazine
"During a time when the fight for reproductive rights is again part of the national conversation, the poignancy of a writing a character who’s literally on a journey to reclaim her body isn’t lost on Schooltree. And the opera has shades of dystopian fare like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451, both of which have seen sales spikes in the 'alternative facts' era." | Scout
"One of the most wholly unexpected works of genius that I have ever encountered." | Progarchy
"Here we have an artist who obviously doesn't know the meaning of the word compromise and as such has produced an album that is rich in both scope and vision." | Glorydaze
"Taken individually, all of the songs are interesting and enjoyable, and taken as a whole, Heterotopia is a considerable achievement, worthy of notice outside of the band’s hometown, and a notch or two above any number of overblown prog epics from recent years that I could name." | Exposé
"Paired with the heady psychological themes, Heterotopia is a lot to take in at once — but then again, Schooltree never really intended for it to be any other way." | Vanyaland
“Schooltree's music embodies the essence of Art Rock, with catchy melodies, sophisticated arrangements, lush instrumentation, and a wide array of influences that - besides classic prog - include opera, Broadway musicals and baroque pop. Lainey's dazzling vocals deliver lyrics that are humorous and thought-provoking at the same time. Highly recommended to fans of Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Supertramp, Queen and Roxy Music.” | Progarchives.com
"Schooltree (the woman) is a painstaking crafter of sound, if not an outright artisan of sound..." | Cambridge Day
"All in all, Lainey has her own stamp and an incredible sense of all aspects of music, from basic structure to finished master. Her arrangement skills are regal. Her composition smarts are sorely beautiful. Schooltree moves from art pop to symphonic rock, to haunting ballad to unforgettable music all over.” | Prognaut.com
"It takes a certain kind of courage to get onstage and make people laugh. It also takes courage to lead a rock band playing your own autobiographical, if cryptic, songs. For Lainey Schooltree, it has been a long trip transitioning from one to the other." | The Phoenix
“Shockingly gorgeous… There’s an undeniable charm in Schooltree’s music.” | Glorydaze Music
"Schooltree is a beautifully unique and experimental artist. Possessing a world of talent as vocalist, pianist, and composer, she is unafraid to let her creativity and imagination unfold and take her in whichever direction she feels like going." | Bill Copeland News
"Lainey is the prog rock queen of modern times, with her Broadway musical vocals and theatrical cabaret presentation." | Boston Survival Guide
"There’s something to be said for an artist who manages theatricality without sounding overwrought, who can self-identify as an 'art-rock' musician and then deliver without pretension – and that something is simply, yes. Yes, I would like to listen to Schooltree’s debut album, Rise, on repeat, because yes, I am a huge fan of stylists in any medium, and yes I think frontwoman Lainey Schooltree has the songwriting goods to justify her formal risks. The album’s mix of Broadway showmanship and lyrical pathos is a bit of a throwback, because each of its nine tracks insists on your full attention: Far from coffeeshop din or radio noise, Rise was made to be attended to. Which is not to say the record is a difficult listen, but an unapologetically immersive one. Is it worth the consideration it demands, this album that gets both artistic experimentation and accessibility right? Yes - you better believe it." | Anna Storm, SeatGeek
"Ladytron on Broadway" | Dig Boston
"With a voice that garners comparisons with Goldfrapp, Tori Amos, Kate Bush and even Freddie Mercury, and a virtuoso command of the keyboard, singer Lainey Schooltree is a strong frontwoman who becomes two or three times actual size on stage. Believe it. Guitarist Brendan Burns, while capable of pyrotechnics when called for, really shines in this band for his subtlety. Not many acts can get away with nonchalantly touting that their awesomeness will be inexorable in their listing for this show on their web site, but these guys get a pass, and you’ll understand if you are wise and/or lucky enough to attend." | Boston Band Crush
"Schooltree's My Metal Mother is delicate yet substantial. Heartbreaking yet hopeful. Complex yet comprehensible. A cohabitation of magisterial musicianship and achingly beautiful vocals in precise and profound pop." | Barry Crimmins