Will Johnson - Scorpion (Undertow, 2012)

Will Johnson
Scorpion
Undertow
2012

Rating: 6.5 freeway dividers out of 10

Will Johnson apparently likes to keep busy.  He has Centro-matic, presumably his main band; South San Gabriel, an offshoot that I always assumed was his solo work; but then he also records under his own name.  And that's not to mention all the other various side projects he's involved in like Monsters of Folk and writing/recording with Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers.  How he decides what songs go to which bands is beyond me, but it seems more than reasonable to call him the Robert Pollard of the alt-country/folk rock world.  

"Scorpion" is a nice, pleasant (and possibly depressing depending on your mood) folk record.  It's mostly just Johnson, his guitar and his signature gravelly voice, with the occasional bit of drums or organ or whatnot added in for color.  It's not nearly as exciting as the fantastic Centro-matic record from last year, "Candidate Waltz," though it's still worth a listen if you're in the mood for some rainy day music.  Hell, it might even sound good on a bright sunny day.  

Centro-Matic - 24 Songs (Self-Released, 2012)

Centro-Matic

24 Songs

Self-Released

2012

Rating: 10 electric knives out of 10

This isn't a real review of a Centro-Matic album as much as it is a (tardy) notice that they put up a free record consisting of 24 songs (hence the name) on bandcamp.  It's basically a self created sampler of all of their albums spanning their entire career, and a great place to start listening to this enjoyable group of Texans.  The music would get a pretty damn high rating - the fact that it's free makes it a can't-miss if you don't already have all of the band's records. 

Grab the album here. 

Centro-matic - Candidate Waltz (Undertow Music Collective, 2011)

Centro-matic
Candidate Waltz
Undertow Music Collective
2011

Rating: 7.5 Denton playboys out of 10

I've never tried to write a review of Centro-matic, and for good reason - despite loving the dude/band, I don't have a fuckin' clue how to describe his music to anyone else. Heartland alt-country? But that's not a very fitting description of this new album, which is as upbeat and rockin' as anything Will Johnson has recorded. You can't compartmentalize them, and I'm someone who likes everything in neat little boxes. Many of the songs almost feel anxious in a post-punk sort of way, without sound post-punk at all. Well, album closer "If They Talk You Down" might have a big toe in that genre. At around 33 minutes the album is nearly over before it even starts, but maybe that's a good thing because it just makes you want to listen over and over again. This is a really great record, and one I'll be playing a lot over the next few months.