On June 29th, guitarist Chuck Johnson released his third full-length album, Blood Moon Boulder, on Scissor Tail Records.
Chuck Johnson’s recording of “Silver Teeth in the Sun” recalls a distinct feel of Americana while simultaneously weaving his own tradition of acoustic songwriting. The album’s bandcamp page states that Blood Moon Boulder is “a nod to the picturesque naturalism of the American landscape”. It’s a testament to Johnson’s aptitude as a guitarist that I was able to perceive this before even reading the description. Chuck Johnson borrows from a long tradition of acoustic songwriting (blues and folk music) and carves out his own aesthetic from its roots. the fullness of his acoustic guitar, the longing of the blues-y fingerpicking, the cavernous quality of the reverberated space certainly recall something imperceptibly vast. This is instrumental music at its best – evocative, distinct, poignant.
Somewhere in the middle of “Silver Teeth in The Sun”, Johnson relinquishes the barrage of fingerpicking for a minute of thunderous minor chords, letting them linger and fill the empty space before returning to a blues-y picking pattern. “Silver Teeth in The Sun” is a cohesive narrative of melancholia and wistful Americana, played with thought and precision.
There can only be afforded so many words for describing instrumental music, though. You can hear more from Johnson on Scissor Tail Records’ bandcamp page.
