Will Johnson delivers his first solo album in 8 years with Scorpion. In those eight years he’s kept extremely busy releasing albums and touring with his band Centro-matic; collaborating and touring with friends in several different bands like Monsters of Folk (Jim James, M Ward, Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis), New Multitudes (Jay Farrar, Jim James, Anders Parker), and Overseas (David Bazan, Matt and Bubba Kadane); and creating a folk art-like painting series of classic baseball players. On Scorpion, Johnson takes on a somber and unflinchingly self-reflective mood painted with regret and a deflated sense of hope complete with a dusty desolation, tormented narratives and music punctuated by abrupt instrumental flourishes. A few exemplifying tracks are: the slow motion tragedy played out on “You Will Be Here, Mine”; “Bloodkin Push” which counterbalances stifled yet hushed heartache with dissonant guitar and cymbals; the Neil Young reminiscent “It Goes Away So Fast,” and the near the perfect “Blackest Sparrow/Darkest Night” and “Truss of Ten.” All in all, Scorpion is a down-trodden album in the vein of Sparklehorse, Vic Chesnutt or Richard Buckner but one that highlights an emotional and music exploration of an already extremely talented musician and songwriter. – Written by JFelton
SIMILAR | Centro-matic, Vic Chesnutt, Molina & Johnson, Jason Molina, Anders Parker, South San Gabriel