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MUSIC REVIEW
Johnny and The Moon
Johnny and The Moon
by Derek Gour
Imagine a rustic log cabin sheltered under the boughs of mighty pines. Majestic Rocky Mountains fill your vision in
every direction. On the porch of this cabin, four flannel-clad men sing folk songs with improvised instruments, pausing
to pass around a 40 oz flask of moonshine from which they each take a generous swig. The four men might call
themselves Johnny and the Moon, and this would be their self-titled debut album.
Johnny and the Moon is the brainchild of Dante DeCaro, who hails from Shawinigan Lake, British Columbia, where
you just might find such a log cabin. The band is an indie side project for the talented DeCaro, who is better known as
the guitarist for Wolf Parade. The album is a welcome dose of freshness in an otherwise stale industry, and ironically,
they succeed by plumbing the depths of traditional folk tones and themes for material.
Instrumentation and pacing is where this album really shines. The acoustic guitars, banjos, pianos, mandolins, and a
variety of other instruments give it an upbeat folk sound, but DeCaro's band maintains a rough edge, appealing to
modern music sensibilities. Johnny and The Moon falters when DeCaro's voice ruins otherwise good songs. He can
obviously sing well, as he does for more than half the album, but he often slips into a too-authentic folk crooner voice
that grates on the ears. "Oleanna" is particularly traumatic to listen to for this very reason. Another track that suffers
unnecessarily is "When You're All Alone", which sounds alright until it periodically breaks into a cacophony of
harmonicas and saxophones. Both songs cause casual listeners to grimace and ask, "What are you listening to?"
The best tracks on Johnny and The Moon are clumped near the beginning of the album. "Green Rocky Road" is one of
the best songs in the past year, and sports the celebrated line: "Hooka, tooka, soda cracker/Does your mamma chew
tobacco?" Another memorable track is "Johnny and the Devil", with its rousing bass and percussion. The second half
of the album declines into some forgettable songs and sad singing, rendering this a passable album that could have
easily been much better.
Johnny and The Moon
Johnny and The Moon
by Derek Gour
Imagine a rustic log cabin sheltered under the boughs of mighty pines. Majestic Rocky Mountains fill your vision in
every direction. On the porch of this cabin, four flannel-clad men sing folk songs with improvised instruments, pausing
to pass around a 40 oz flask of moonshine from which they each take a generous swig. The four men might call
themselves Johnny and the Moon, and this would be their self-titled debut album.
Johnny and the Moon is the brainchild of Dante DeCaro, who hails from Shawinigan Lake, British Columbia, where
you just might find such a log cabin. The band is an indie side project for the talented DeCaro, who is better known as
the guitarist for Wolf Parade. The album is a welcome dose of freshness in an otherwise stale industry, and ironically,
they succeed by plumbing the depths of traditional folk tones and themes for material.
Instrumentation and pacing is where this album really shines. The acoustic guitars, banjos, pianos, mandolins, and a
variety of other instruments give it an upbeat folk sound, but DeCaro's band maintains a rough edge, appealing to
modern music sensibilities. Johnny and The Moon falters when DeCaro's voice ruins otherwise good songs. He can
obviously sing well, as he does for more than half the album, but he often slips into a too-authentic folk crooner voice
that grates on the ears. "Oleanna" is particularly traumatic to listen to for this very reason. Another track that suffers
unnecessarily is "When You're All Alone", which sounds alright until it periodically breaks into a cacophony of
harmonicas and saxophones. Both songs cause casual listeners to grimace and ask, "What are you listening to?"
The best tracks on Johnny and The Moon are clumped near the beginning of the album. "Green Rocky Road" is one of
the best songs in the past year, and sports the celebrated line: "Hooka, tooka, soda cracker/Does your mamma chew
tobacco?" Another memorable track is "Johnny and the Devil", with its rousing bass and percussion. The second half
of the album declines into some forgettable songs and sad singing, rendering this a passable album that could have
easily been much better.
| April 2007 Issue 11 |
