Sounds like: Wordy folk-pop; compare to Pedro The Lion, Plain White T’s, Andrew Jackson Jihad
Top tracks: “Just a Lullaby,” “The Next Life Available (Is This One),” “You Have a Beautiful Voice”
All Ben Johnson wants to do is pick up his acoustic guitar to sing songs and tell tales to any and all that will listen. It’s a worthy occupation and one that the singer-songwriter takes to admirably. His guitar picking and piano work is solid and fluttery, and his uses his feathery voice to fine effect. So it’s a shame that his lyrics often feel like obvious attempts to yank on the heartstrings. He spends the majority of the title track spilling out cloying sentiments to a nameless female friend, wishing that all the ills of the world had never befallen her. Other songs lay out treacly romantic sentiments, generous homages to songs written by David Bazan, and fist-pumping odes to self-reliance and determination.
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