Warm, dusty alt-country from the prolific, now veteran Austin singer-songwriter who used to record as Centro-matic and South San Gabriel. Unhurried, pretty, twangy, heavy on the western stylings. Johnson’s made music with everyone from Conor Oberst and M. Ward to Jason Molina, which gives you an idea of the camp he’s in. (The record with Molina, suitably titled Molina and Johnson, is one of my favorites of all time). His tenory middle-age drawl has equal grace and gravity, and his lyrics are anachronistic in a way that invites Bonnie “Prince” Billy comparisons. Beautiful stuff. Favorites: 1, 2, 6, 8, 9. No FCCs detected.

1. *(4:23)—Slow, laidback, pretty, hypnagogic. Very nice pedal steel.
2. *(5:36)—Medium-slow, pulsing rhythm. The single. Crunchy, swaggery, dark. Dubby, noisy passages.
3. (3:14)—Very slow waltz. Washes of tremolo guitar, soft organ.
4. (5:14)—Slow, sutble, drifing western psychedelia.
5. (3:22)—Slow, lumbering, appropriately slithery, heavy, dark.
6. *(3:14)—Slow, pulsing, with weary multitracked vocals.
7. (4:04)—Mid-tempo, upbeat, chugging, free and easy.
8. *(5:06)—Medium-slow, deep, minimal. Really catchy vocal harmonies. Kinda cool ‘80s synth at the end.
9. *(7:52)—Really slow, dubby drums. Sedate, spacey synth. More pedal steel. Deep, Bonnie “Prince” Billy-esque harmony. For riding (very slowly) into the sunset.