John Thomson is an Atlanta-based musician, songwriter and producer. Born and raised in New Jersey, he started playing guitar at the age of 10 and has spent the past several decades working as a professional guitarist, both as a session musician and playing in top-level bands across the Jersey Shore, New York City and Atlanta. Although he’s spent much of his professional music career playing in cover and corporate bands, Thomson has been writing original music for many decades and it was always a lifelong goal to someday release his own album. That “someday” resulted in his debut Against the Grain recorded and mixed over a period of seven years. The album is heavily influenced by the composers and artists from the ‘70s with harmonically complex, yet catchy songs, designed to bring the listener on a journey. The album was recorded and mixed at Thomson’s home studio in Atlanta and his love for audio engineering started in college, where he learned the art of recording onto 2-inch tape. The album was mostly recorded and entirely mixed in Pro Tools. Because the album was mixed for headphones, Thomson also wanted to choose a mastering engineer with the same philosophy. Glenn Schick - a Grammy-winning mastering E\engineer helped by mastering the album exclusively via headphones.
At its most basic, Against the Grain is a rock album, but it puts together multiple different genres – from classic rock to modern rock, from soft rock to pop rock, to even Latin rock. Thomson says that he is still trying to find his “style” and was experimenting with different genres for his debut – so what you’ll hear is an eclectic mix of songs. But across the board, the emphasis is on melody and harmony. Thomson’s musical inspirations were heavily influenced by AM/FM radio out of New York City, where major radio stations played a wide variety of music crossing all musical genres. Many of the popular songs written during that time were harmonically complex. This diverse musical palette shaped his appreciation of music – especially his appreciation for melody and harmony. His musical influences are quite varied but are heavily ‘70s influenced - from Steely Dan to Pink Floyd, Elton John to Andrew Gold, Todd Rundgren to Joe Jackson, Boston to Paul McCartney, and even from Barry Manilow to Yes. You can find traces of these influences throughout the album, albeit with a modern twist. The album’s self-titled opener is a straightforward rocker that follows the tried and true, verse/chorus relationship. The band builds up a tension and plays progressively harder as the music builds up to a searing guitar solo. Next up is “Mystique” and it features a sweet and syrupy bass line. The song’s style and arrangement feels like something I’ve heard from the ‘70s – the Allan Parson’s Project, maybe? Lyrically, the song involves getting involved romantically with a girl, who Thomson refers to as “Mystique.” My guess is that Thomson is using that word metaphorically and is not literally referring to the superhero character from the X-Men comics. But hey, I could be wrong. “Complicated View” which was written in the mid-‘90s, has elements that are both fresh sounding and classic. Written for the piano, “Innocent Eyes” has some nice arrangements and experimentation. I especially liked the Latin guitar addition during the solo. Overall, the song’s style has got a ‘70s soft rock appeal, reminding me a little bit of Joe Jackson. “Pet” begins with the line “Can you keep my secret?” being whispered. There’ll be no doubt with listeners of this tune’s suggestive lyrical content and the melodious bass lines which add to the song’s sultry nature.The lyrics to “Could’ve Been” which were written in the mid-‘00s, find Thomson thinking back to simpler times with someone who’s no longer in his life. A straightforward pop rock number about regret and what might have been. There’s also some great piano and guitar action during the last two minutes of the song. Next is “Storylines” and it features a power pop/rock style. The power side of the song kind of reminds me of Boston, while the pop-ish parts remind me of Elton John’s stuff from the ‘80s. Moving on to “Falling Awake” which is a tune that has catchy lyrics and overall, a more pop “edginess” to it. Keyboards take on a greater presence with the guitar parts offering a supportive role, rather than being upfront. This one reminds me more of Elton John’s mid-‘80s stuff. “Blue Solitude” was a fun song to listen to – I especially liked the catchy guitar riffs. Thomson’s writing style here reminds me of something from the early ‘80s, like how some artists would mix elements of pop rock and new wave.In some weird way, it kind of reminded me of Rick Springfield. The last tune is “Sonata Moonlight” and like “Could’ve Been” represent Thomson’s unique melodic style and crazy good guitar playing. You’ll also hear plenty of Latin music influence with this romantic number. If you like the pop and soft rock sounds of the ‘70s, and appreciate talented guitar playing, check out Against the Grain by John Thomson.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Critique/insightWe are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
Are you one of our faithful visitors who enjoys our website? Like us on Facebook
Archives
April 2024
|