Once upon a time Rob Johnson played in Forward Is the Farewell, a band that supported the likes of Hellogoodbye. That there is the tedious link that finds ‘Upon a Painted Ocean’ sitting on Punktastic’s desk. Not even at a Peter Schmeichel sized stretch does this debut solo offering fall under the umbrella of what ordinarily gets a review around here, but due to the fact that this is actually rather good we’re bestowing a couple of inches to praise it.
Essentially this is a mostly an instrumental album chock full of atmospherics and diversity. There’re a lot of twangs, a lot of distorts and some very impressive musicianship. āIn Cahootsā sounds a little like a lounge track, seeped in jazz before becoming a riotous rock beast. āMilo’s Revengeā has a Hammer Horror feel that mingles with what sounds almost D ‘n’ B like. When vocals do appear they’re utilised more as an additional instrument, particularly those of Mary Spender who generates quite an ethereal effect.
One criticism is that the varying tone of the songs sometimes makes the whole album seem a little disjointed. Still, Johnson describes the record as āthe soundtrack to a film within your imaginationā, which would accommodate the stuttered feel. Make no mistakes about it, this may be instrumental but it’s anything but elevator music. In a nutshell, not punk but well worth a listen if you’re looking for something a tad different or you want to hear a songwriter with a lot of talent.
Alex