There's a cool laid back feel to this album by songwriter, singer, and harmonica player Scott Albert Johnson.
The smooth r'n'b groove doesn't tread any new ground but is very easy on the ear all the same - the type of album you'd put on to unwind with a group of friends after a good meal.
Johnson calls upon a range of musicians to help him out - there's trumpet on 'Hollywood', organ on Magnolia Road and even a Didgeridoo on the instrumental 'Walkabout'.
This mix reflects the nomadic lifestyle of a man who spent many years working and playing music around the US. But it also the sound of a man now keen to celebrate his roots.
The album was recorded in the Mississippi which he says: "I have always considered to be home, even though I lived away for many years". Johnson was born in St. Louis and raised in Jackson and the delta blues are obviously part of his DNA.
The punchy title track set against the backdrop of John F.Kennedy's assassination is a bit out of keeping with the overall mood of easy going charm and humour. More representative are 'Hollywood', the tale of a young man who seeks fame and fortune in Tinseltown, or 'The Yuppie Husband's Lament' which makes the point that there's more to life than a BMW, IKEA furnishing and a widescreen TV.
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In the touching simplicity of the closing song (The Best Of Me) Johnson reflects "I'm learning how to see across the canyon / Between who I am and who I need to be".
It's a pretty safe bet to say that Johnson's in a good place now. This mellow glow of satisfaction is what he pretty effectively communicates to the listener.
10t 39.49
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