Arran Johnson is one man and his guitar – this is about as stripped down as music gets. There are no samples and loops and no superfluous instrumentation to distract from the vocals and acoustic strummings. York-based, Arran wears his heart on his sleeve and for those familar with The Lyndsay Diaries, there’s more than a passing resemblence in style and song structure. And this is a good thing, because the four tracks on this self-released EP show plenty of promise.
I’d be lying if I said they were the finished article, because they’re not. But there’s passion and soul in his voice and that’s always the focal point when a band is as ‘naked’ as this. There’s little to distract the listener, so it’s a good job ‘Feel Free’ and ‘Miaow’ are done well. Overall, this is a very solid debut release and one to definitely keep an eye on. Acoustic acts are ten-a-penny, but good ones should always be warmly received – and Arran’s certainly in that category.
www.myspace.com/arranjohnson
paul