‘Now You Know’ is the latest CD from JUSTIN ROTH. It came about after a period of intense touring, after which Justin holed up in a small home in the foothills of Colorado, and basically self-engineered, played, sang and produced every facet of this album, which is an accomplishment in itself. Using such percussion instruments as a cardboard box, a sauce pan and a length of guttering, alongside his acoustic guitar and other regular instruments, he has produced an album of depth and quality.
There are eleven tracks on the album, all of which fall largely into the folk genre. Opener, ‘This Winter’ is a bluesy folk guitar based song which is textured and layered producing a great sound quality. His vocals are very clear, and the lyrics full of imagery: “This winter, so cold. This long night is gettin’ old/ I’m hanging on down to the wire/ Singing for the dawn with the midnight choir.”
The second track ‘Now You Know’ features some excellent guitar playing and starts with a slightly sparse arrangement until building up quite a way into the song. The story told in this song is one of lost love, and the lyrics are in part quite self critical and self-deprecating: - “I can be so blind, let it slip my mind. And now you know/ It’s just where it goes. I am thorn without the rose.”
‘Surrender’ follows the theme of love with a slightly brighter outlook and the knowledge and wisdom that “Matters of the heart don’t always fall in line.” Other tracks for me which really stood out were the two instrumentals, ‘Spaghetti Junction’ with its playful melody which at one point throws in a nah ne nah ne nah nah just like a cheeky schoolboy, and ‘There and Back Again’. Both of which showcase the fact that Justin is an excellent guitar player, who can wring emotion solely out of a tune.
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‘The Last Time’ was another of my favourite tracks, all about meeting a girl in a bar, the sort of gal that walks “like a tiger in a cage”, for a track that shares its title with a Rolling Stones number, there was a clever lyrical twist when he sings: - “I swear this will be the last time, for a little satisfaction.”
The album also ends on a high, with ‘Love’s Not Through With Me Yet’, the sort of song that you could imagine Johnny Cash covering on his American albums, once again the lyrics are a strong point: - “I have seen the young girls cry, thinking love has passed them by/ They struggle with a heavy load, but if love’s not here it’s down the road.”
Overall, I thought that this was a great album, it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of Justin Roth, and on the strength of this, I certainly don’t think it will be the last.
Listen to 'Now You Know'by Justin Roth at Bandcamp
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