John Faraone “Houses” Album Review
‘Houses’ has flecks of that lonesome sound painted over its exterior. Faraone’s voice is soft, unworried, and relaxed throughout the course of the six tracks, but he remains interesting still. I never tire of listening to these songs despite the unhurried nature of the tunes, there is certainly an energy here, it just isn’t what you think of when a listener perhaps hears the word “energy”.
(photo by Ryan Lang)
Driven by acoustic guitar and piano with just the right amount of pedal steel flavor for good measure, there is a warmness in the songs. They all seem to relate to one another, like a continuous and flowing narrative. That is something else I dig about this collection, it feels just like that, a collection. One that belongs together. Like a shelf of old vinyl from a songwriters influences…in this case, ranging from Dylan to Elliot Smith and to Ryan Adams.
John is a great songwriter. What is most remarkable, is he hasn’t been at this all that long but comes across as a seasoned pro. With straightforward, but expressive and telling lyrics, he tells stories that could be about anyone who happens to listen in. There is a universal likeability to him as a performer. Unassuming, calming, but still very touching in his delivery of his words.
she gets sick when she drinks whiskey, but she has a good time,
she only smokes cheap cigarettes, and loves expensive wine
Faraone’s ‘Houses’ is a record that took me far too long to really bite into, but a record I will be continuously revisiting when I need something a little bit somber, but really f*cking great, to warm my soul just a bit.
