Cameron Johnson
Stack Your Stones
There are big voices and then there are BIG voices. Put
Cameron Johnson in the second category. How big? Like John Gorka on steroids.
Like a canon fired into a thunderstorm. If you don't already know this talented
Arkansas musician, get thee to YouTube immediately and check him out.
First things first: When Johnson was first putting himself
on the circuit he made a homespun promo CD titled Stack Your Stones that didn't actually have a song of that name
among its tracks. It was mostly Johnson on guitars and vocals and his father,
Bruce, on drums. This is a different project.
The song "Stack Your Stones" for which the new EP
is named is a souped up version of "On My Own" from the promo. Somewhere
along the line Johnson got connected with the right people. If you have one of
the demos, you'll be struck immediately by how much more is going on in the new
Stack Your Stones. The reworked title track opens with some vibes-like keys that set the table for horns, rock solid
percussion, backing vocals and a big swell to the chorus. Check out how the
horns drive the track, hollowing out for an echoic bridge, and then speeding us
to the end like a semi making up for lost time. That's not to say Johnson is a
man in a hurry. "Is There a Difference" is soulful and slow. The organ
in this one suggests a bit of gospel influence, but the song itself is about
disconnection: "Is there a difference between right and wrong/Cause I'm
the last one standing when everyone's gone." Later he bemoans looking out
the same window and seeing a different view. For all of that, Johnson prefers
to take the back roads to explore the strength that comes from realizing others
are on the same path. That message comes through clearly in "Let It Lie,"
which implores that letting go often reveals the ones standing beside you that can
speed your journey home (however that is understood). Call it a big voice,
tender heart kind of song.
"Somebody's Son" is another bring-the-noise
arrangement. Johnson's vocal vibe is that of an arena rock singer still wearing
his pork pie jazz hat. In the song he describes a downbeat character–whom we imagine
as street person–as smelling "like yesterday's smoke." What a vivid
image! But he also tells us that "He's easier to love/If you picture him
as somebody's son." It's one of several stitched together bios that alert
us that there are tales behind those on whom we'd slap quick labels. The EP is
rounded out in a balancing way by "The Hunt," a piece of swampy
Southern rock soaked in edgy mystery, clashing guitar work, and resonant
vocals. For reasons you have to hear to understand, its abrupt ending is
perfect for the song.
It's my understanding that Johnson intends to release
another EP in a few months to bookend this one. If anything he does gets half
the airplay it deserves, you won't need me to introduce you to Cameron Johnson.
—Rob Weir
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