And after being the first artist to be interviewed for my Independent Interviews column, here I am again talking to you about Addison Johnson.
This time, however, we’re talking about music.
Oh yes, because as I anticipated in the interview (which you can find here:
https://www.trexroads.com/independent-interview-addison-johnson/) the artist from North Carolina had a new album coming out and I thank him for the honor of being able to preview it.
Addison gives us a journey between stories of “dangerous men” and the invigorating sound of country with an ancient flavor, but imbued with modern vigor and character.
Dangerous Men are not outlaws in the strict sense, but men who say and do what their heart commands, even if this means going “against” society and its rules.
Here, this is how we can understand this man’s way of making music: he doesn’t care about the rules dictated by some important record company and plays what people want to hear.
“Dangerous” and “outlaw” music, independent and without masters, which someone wanted to silence, but which, from the undergrowth of American musical culture, has today exploded in all its beauty and like an unstoppable tide is conquering fans in every corner.
More than 100 shows a year around dusty venues full of stories have enriched him and this Dangerous Men, after the splendid 2019 EP Cherokee Blues (which I talked about here: https://www.trexroads.com/cherokee-blues-addison-johnson-2019/) and his 2021 debut Dark Side of the Mountain, is preparing to become one of the finest in independent country of 2024.
The album begins with Waitin ‘on The World To End which comes to us as if we were listening to a transistor radio just to clarify that his music has that origin there.
A country song with an engaging almost honky tonk rhythm, guided by his powerful voice which projects us into a song lashed by guitars and pedal steel.
The band that accompanies him is of absolute quality: above all the co-producer of the album, David Flint, who is also a multi-instrumentalist with supreme talent (on the album he plays guitars, bass, organ and dobro guitar).
The following High Way is a country song to lick your chops for and the presence of an artist of the caliber of Alex Williams alongside Johnson only increases its quality.
The two voices complement each other and tell of lives of highways and distant dreams to be reached for those who spend their lives on the road. Beautiful.
Out Of Control seems to come out of a session with a 70s country musician: the influences of George Jones and Waylon are strong and Addison‘s voice was born for this.
Let’s not forget, however, that Addison Johnson also loves rock and blues and the pulsating bass that introduces the rhythm of The Busker is there to remind us of this.
Guitars and slide riffs, organ and an American rock and roll chrous for a true “busker“. Perhaps the most surprising and beautiful on the album.
Country Inn is another different, up-tempo piece that gives the dark stories of run-down motels an interesting and engaging aura.
Obviously inspired by having often stayed in motels of dubious cleanliness and quality (…ah the fantastic life of the independent musician!), the song is another of the highs of a record without “lows”.
The title track is country with an “outlaw” and dusty flavor, the dobro is elegant, the voice as powerful as the story it tells.
It will certainly be one of the best outlaw country songs of 2024: top-notch songwriting, friends.
The Trip is a fun honky tonk of those who love around Billy Bob in Fort Worth, Texas, but the subsequent End of A Rope and his melancholic violin surprise us again.
An almost gothic ballad, with a waltz and ancient flavour: this boy is never banal in everything he writes.
The guitars and rhythm return in I Did Nothing Wrong, with sharp riffs and blues rock rhythm, just to confirm his ability to master different genres.
11 songs that confirm Addison Johnson as one of the best independent singer-songwriters on the American scene as he had shown us in 2021, indeed the quality of the writing, the originality and the character that we find in this Dangerous Men is even superior.
In some passages it is automatic to read the author’s title because it is difficult to believe that we are dealing with an author who in theory would be “labelled” as country.
Independent music is experiencing a magical moment both in terms of quality and audience and this album only makes us feel calm: the tide is not receding, on the contrary.
I remind you that the album will be officially released on March 1, 2024 and you can listen to it on your streaming services or purchase it on his website:
https://addisonjohnsonmusic.com/
Happy listening,
Trex
