An "Essential Album of 2016."
- Gold Flake Paint
"As is his wont, Engel plays every instrument here, mixing acoustic and electronic instruments while crafting songs that dart across genre lines."
- A.V. Club
"Maxed Out... sits at the intersection of power pop and emo."
-Chicago Reader
"Engel came to prove there's nothing he can't do and chew gum, and he only has gum left. Maxed Out blends Midwestern emo, math rock, post-hardcore, indie rock, post-rock, and the core of it all, pop, to perfection. Bouncing back and forth between jagged rhythms, syrupy vocal melodies, airy slacker pop, and a sense for experimentation, Options have embraced the fuzzy space in-between."
- Post-Trash