John Allen James - Fire Sky
Format: CD - Digital / Label: Eigen Beheer
Release Date: May 5, 2018

Text: Peter Marinus

How on earth is it possible that an album by a hugely talented singer-songwriter should be released in-house? I'm talking about the latest album, his third, by John Allen James from Tampa, Florida. From the beginning of his career, he is thrown to death with comparisons with Bob Dylan. In his opinion completely unjustified.
And in my humble opinion too! The only agreement with Dylan is John's occasional nasal voice. For the rest, John is more in the corner of Elliott Murphy (who has often been compared to Dylan), Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar. Not the least so and that can be heard on this album!

The opener Next To You is a sparkling Americana song with a folky sound in which the sound of Elliott Murphy wanders around. The lazy rocking ballad Let Me Down Easy is more in the ballad corner of Bruce Springsteen. An intimate song with warm humming bass and piercing electric guitar. The light-hearted shuffle Sing Along has a virtually nonchalant accompaniment a la The Band (that floating organ!). Very unexpectedly a very strong rocker comes along in Amnesia Game with biting vocals. Stand My Ground is heading in the bluesy direction with strong guitar work by Daniel Addison and funky riffs. After all this "violence" it is time for the atmospheric ballad Believe in which the sound goes more towards Springsteen.
The modest semi-acoustic ballad Make My Peace is also striking for its beautiful deep twang guitar. Letter is again such a sparkling Americana song after which Hammer Down pulls the sound a bit more towards the rock & roll. In this Daniel Addison excels again on guitar. The warm, lazy Thank You Maiden Blue ballad closes this album in a John Cougar style.

John Allen James delivers a very versatile and beautiful album on which he proves that it should now be over with those Dylan comparisons. He is going to grow very big on his own!


Tracklist:
01. Next To You
02. Let Me Down Easy
03. Sing Along
04. Amnesia Game
05. Stand My Ground
06. Believe
07. Make My Peace
08. Letter
09. Hammer Down
10. Thank You Maiden Blue

Website: John Allen James