French singer/writer Iris Johner has been writing songs and poems as long as she can remember. At age 14, she received her first guitar. After playing on stage for awhile in her home country, cutting a five-song demo back in 2012 and playing in an indie-shoe gaze band for a few months, she decided to do some traveling and then settle down in south Portugal. There, she decided to try and make a living exclusively from her music; playing at bars, weddings and busking on street corners. By the end of 2018, Johner put together a few of her best songs into her latest EP Far Down South, which was named after her experiences in Portugal and the alternative way of life in that part of the world. The recording expresses the warmth and charm of the country’s southern landscape. For Johner, the song’s production are personal, sober and raw. The songwriter’s “inner world” of music reflects issues of despair and aspirations, daydreams and gratitude, love, insights, life and fate.
In “Blessing in Disguise” Johner sings about finding an ‘ending lesson’ in life and love. That ‘blessing’ that is sometimes overlooked when you are in the midst of going through something traumatic or life changing – a realization, in other words. Musically, Johner definitely has the tried and true singer/songwriter thing down pat – just her voice and her guitar – and a soulful, powerhouse voice at that. I couldn’t quite decide who she reminds me of, so I’ll just leave that up to the listener. “Far Down South” feels a little folksier with ‘90s alternative acoustic vibes. I love Johner’s use of the word “ain’t” and improper english – that’s punk, man, that’s bad ass! The song’s words are about her excursion down south where she “ain’t got no problems,” “aint’ got no plan” but, follows that up with always knowing where she came from. Overall, I like this song’s attitude with its gospel/soulful qualities, guitar rhythm and use of harmonica and extra percussion. “King of Light” features a sober tone and sparser guitar playing, while Johner’s voice takes more center stage and her songwriting, more subjective and poetic. The added cello/strings were a really nice addition, too. Nothing dynamic or flashy to this number, as the chords pretty much stay the same throughout the song. “Lose Yourself” begins with a faster tempo and a clearer distinction between verses and chorus. The song’s lyrics take on a poetic quality here as well, and I thought Johner’s use of a full chord on the chorus really made the words stand out. She seems to be suggesting that it’s easy to get wrapped up in things outside yourself, not to be present and forgetting to breathe. Also, “fading flowers in a vase” “first blossoms of the year” and later, “man is a bunch of bones” could be metaphors for birth and death. “On the Road” which just happens to be the title of a very famous book by another artist with French roots (aka Jack Kerouac), is a great, reflective song filled with questions that only a true introvert could ask oneself, but also confirm. Things like, happiness can only be real if it is shared, and “I feel complete only when I’m alone.” There are fearful words also – “What do I look for? / When I leave and slam the door.” Johner’s sentiment seems to be twofold: wanting to experience what’s new and exciting in the world, to not “want to end this dream” but yet, having this deep understanding that life can be disappointing and short. Musically, backing vocals were added and more variety to Johner’s guitar playing – a balance of a rolling/picking rhythm and full out strumming. Through some recent encounters and experiences, Johner now believes that her music is about to go through some big changes, prompting her to explore new ways of playing and putting music together. With that said, my hat’s off to this very talented young artist as she discovers what life’s experiences could hold next.
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