|
Sometimes all it takes is a spin or two to realize that you're listening to an album that's going to wear well. The music on "Sunday Driver" has that kind of feel to it, a smart, mostly understated roots rock sound that isn't likely to ever become dated. While longtime fans of Kevin Johnson and the Linemen will be familiar with some of the songs, notably "The Bad Old Days" and "Rocks for dinner," nothing here seems out of place or unwelcome. In fact, there's a kind of seamless, southern charm to the way the album unfolds at times, a virtue underscored by a cool weave of acoustic and electric string instruments and Johnson's quietly soulful vocals. Not that there aren't mood swings; Dylanesque allusions surface on some songs, evident in both the lyrics ("Heart of Spanish Leather") and the organ-primed arrangements ("Imitation of Wife"), while other cuts range from languid, horn-limned musings ("Always Raining on My Street") to southwest Louisiana slants and rants ("The Bad Old Days"). Linemen past and present contribute tastefully to the mix, including guitarist Bill Kirchen, shine as well. Crime novelist George P. Pelecanos, who penned the album's liner notes, thinks Johnson's songwriting talent is impressive enough to place him in the company of Gram Parsons, Paul Kelly, Freedy Johnston, T-Bone Burnett and other first-rate tunesmiths. Turns out, there's more than sufficient evidence on "Sunday Driver" to support that view. by
Mike Joyce
|
|
Baltimore's own Sam Records can give themselves a nice pat on the back courtesy of these two fine new releases. I can actually say, as strange as this may seem to our readers outside of the Maryland/Washington D.C./Northern Virginia area, that I first became aware of Kevin Johnson from the radio. We are somewhat blessed in this area with a radio station- WRNR- that plays some pretty fine music (when they’re not stuck in their "all Dead all the time" mode) and has been favoring songs like the album opener "Imitation of Wife", the folkie stomper "Good For Nothin" and the Los Lobos styled rocker "The Bad Old Days"- complete with some jumping accordion work- with some well deserved playlist rotation. With a voice somewhere between Bruce Cockburn, David Wilcox, and Warren Zevon, Johnson effortlessly weaves his stories of love and loss amidst some expertly executed roots rock; there’s no real surprises here, and that’s the point. This is music that’s crafted to be timeless. "Always Raining On My Street" answers the question ‘what if the Drifters were from New Orleans?’ Guests on the record include Bill Kirchen and Scruffy the Cat’s Charlie Chesterman (Note to Mr. Chesterman- one Scruffy the Cat reunion tour please) among others. All in all, Sunday Driver is one smooth ride. by Jon Jolles |
