Son of John
Each Second Footstep
Self Released
2022
Son of John’s sound and lineup has tripled since its debut, Autumn’s Hymn, released in 2016. After that slice of smoky gospel and Americana, Jacob Johnson recruited double bass player John Parker and subsequently dropped the duo EP Live at Fieldgate Studio in 2018. Fast forward to 2020, and the pair are back playing after Jacob’s time in Australia, this time with drummer and percussionist Jack Walker in tow and a set of songs ready to be recorded as Each Second Footstep. As well as the core trio, the album boasts a broad range of players and instruments to build a sound that is immediately richer and more intricate than fans will be used to. Opener Lay Low’s nifty percussion suggests a new direction before strings (Kate St John deserves credit for her string and brass arrangements throughout) and keys sweep in along with Jacob’s signature husky timbre. It is clear from this beginning that Son of John is looking to do something very different with its second album proper; the drums and double bass notes of the song hold hints of jazz, and the urgency of the music, particularly in the final third when Jacob’s acoustic gathers traction, almost puts the vocal into the shade. It seems this is far more than a singer-songwriter album.
The tunes are originals except for the traditional call and response gospel song John the Revelator, which startles straight away with a baritone spoken-word rendition of an Emily McCoy poem. The song itself is closer in tone to the Curtis Stigers and the Forest Rangers version than that of the super-gravelly Blind Willie Johnson. The percussion stands out again in the intro, as does a spooky slide guitar line hovering spectre-like over the poetry. But then Parker’s elastic double bass notes come in, and the whole sound gets more menacing and seductive. The vocals are also great, with Jacob’s low voice shifting nicely from heavy burr to light and the backing singers doing fine work, but the instrumental backing is like a carnival nightmare, with Will Mather’s electric guitar killing it and Hugh Rashleigh’s trumpet conjuring Tom Waits at his loosest. This is great stuff, and producer Dave Lynch does an excellent job in allowing each instrument, as well as the voices, room to manoeuvre while keeping it all balanced.
When Feel that Moment follows, it reminded me briefly of the Abbey Road running order, when the blues to jazz to prog masterpiece I Want You (She’s so Heavy) precedes the unassuming Here Comes the Sun. Feel that Moment begins as a simply picked acoustic tune, cleansing the palate after the raucous John the Revelator, before strings and vocal harmonies add colour to the backing.
Another initially quieter song, Silhouettes Ripple, brings to mind Mumford and Sons at their best before, after about a third, a beautiful little cascade of notes and some mournful clarinet subtly shift the mood and give the song a new facade. It is just one example of little touches and decisions throughout this album that make it such an interesting listen. Again, towards the end of the song, the string section has some fun and briefly bounces off one another before the vocal harnesses things again. It could have been played out as a perfectly decent and more conservative song, but the richness in the arrangements and the creative directions lift it into a far higher place. The same could be said of The Waves, which spends much of its time at a leisurely pace, with Jacob’s vocals soft and slow and the bass (great again) and clarinet gentle and cautious. Strings and trumpet creep in during the song, but it is tentative and careful, and it is not until the final act, when we believe the song is all but played out, that the players gather themselves for the last hit. This is a lot of fun, with each member going in for just over a minute and seeing the tune out with a blast of energy.
Continuing in this vein is the final song, Watch Me, which begins with scratchy disquieting bowed strings, forming a nervous backdrop, before Jacob appropriately asks, ‘Where is all the light?’. The menacing backing circles the vocal for a few seconds more before the mood shifts into something altogether brighter, with a neatly picked guitar line underpinned by drums and subtle bass. This easy jazz arrangement carries the song through its ‘you’ve seen me out / watch me darling, watch me darling’ refrain for a few more minutes before the rest of the ensemble steps in to see the album out. Strings wash in again, and piano notes can be heard sparkling beneath them before the keys and clarinet are allowed some space to dance together briefly until the song finishes with little fuss. Like with much of this album, if even half of the musicians guest at the live shows, this song will be an absolute delight to hear.
Each Second Step feels like a significant leap forward; it has taken the confident arrangements and musicianship of debut album Autumn’s Hymn and expanded it in all directions. Jacob’s deft fingerstyle guitar playing, influenced by players like John Martyn and Martin Simpson, is still an integral part of the song’s structure, but the arrangements are more adventurous here, with strings and brass creating texture. The band’s additional mainstays, John Parker and Jack Walker, are stars throughout, with Parker’s bass notes creating diverse patterns and a slinky, grown-up tone and Walker’s intuitive percussion adding deep foundations to already strong songs. It all comes together as a rich and exciting listen that has been lovingly put together and expertly handled. A winning album from excellent musicians who clearly love their craft, Each Second Step is an essential release.
Out on 22 July 2022, you can pre-order Each Second Footstep via Bandcamp: https://sonofjohnfolk.bandcamp.com/releases
More here: https://www.sonofjohnfolk.com/