So scintillating that it sounds at times you could be forgiven for losing yourself completely
Originally from Glasgow, John upped sticks and left for sunnier climbs in Christchurch, New Zealand where he found himself living for a substantial period. Whilst there, he played an untold number of gigs which increased his experience of performing live. This being his third album, his large legion of fans will surely be delighted as well as those who have yet to hear his work.
With a faster beat than some on this twelve-track release, Carry Me Home includes some rambling picking which I’m sure every country fan appreciates and wouldn’t be out of place if played on a 1970s Dire Straits album. By the first few moments of Rakaia you seem to understand what John is all about;
Picking superiority. What seems like both an acoustic guitar and banjo, the instrumental work is certainly not wasted as they are the perfect accompaniment to John’s unmistakably croaky yet by all means enticing vocals. This track is that fine it should be recorded by either an East Nashville resident or one of the Austin-based bands as it certainly deserves to be heard by as many people as possible. A quite groovy tune it is, Nowhere To Go has both blues elements about it but has the advantage of keeping true to its country and Americana roots by revving the awesome button all the way up to eleven; a toe-tapper, crowd pleaser of a song it sure is.
As John spent quite a large amount of his life earning himself a substantial number of fans in New Zealand, I’m confident that if he relocated to the land of our American cousins further and even great success would be heading his way.
Russell Hills
Maverick Nov 09