Crows In The Basilica

Johnson, Chuck
Three Lobed Recordings
General | May 2013

Reviews

Lestrygonian
Reviewed 2013-05-30
Masterful Appalachian styled guitar folk, ancient-hearted and soulful like Fahey, Jack Rose, and Three Lobed labelmate Steve Gunn. Probably neighbors with fellow Philadelphia-based folk prodigy Daniel Bachman. RIYL dreadnought steel string acoustic guitars, white lightnin’, chewin’ t’baccah.

1. (3:51) Steady bouncing’ banjo-like Appalachian theme, gorgeous red foliage all along the Shenandoah Valley
2. (4:58)* Sweet ambling tune, plaintive, with just a touch of country blues, old M. John Hurt could have sung over this
3. (6:11) Mystical, haunting slow ballad, wandering through chord arpeggios, space slowly picks up while staying melancholy. A troubled lonely walk through the woods in autumn.
4. (3:17) A version of 19th century parlor guitar standard “Vestapol,” a sweet rollicking tune that brings comfort to the ears of weary travelers.
5. (4:15) Dark baroque piece, slow and pensive, lots of complex chord changes.
6. (8:08)** Slow, brooding, mysterious, theme song to a wander through a ghost town as the title implies.
7. (5:24)* sweet, hopeful, tragic bluegrass—reminds you that your life is nowhere near as hard as a coal miner’s.
8. (3:33)*** beautiful blooming lullaby, almost dulcimer-like, just as ekphrastic and vivid as the title intends

Recent airplay

On A Slow Passing In Ghost Town
maximum entropyAug 01, 2013
Ransom Street Blues
The Iron SkilletJul 20, 2013
Wild Geese Descend On Level Sand
TunesJul 12, 2013
Wild Geese Descend On Level Sand
TunesJul 05, 2013
Wild Geese Descend On Level Sand
minimum entropyJun 26, 2013
On A Slow Passing In Ghost Town
air balloon laneJun 16, 2013

Charting

2013-06-03 — 2013-08-05
Week EndingAirplays
Aug 4 1
Jul 21 1
Jul 14 1
Jul 7 1
Jun 30 1
Jun 23 1
Jun 16 2
Jun 9 2

Track listing

1. Across White Oak Mountain
2. Ransom Street Blues
3. Albion Square
4. Vestapol
5. Crows In The Basilica
6. On A Slow Passing In Ghost Town
7. Mine Creek
8. Wild Geese Descend On Level Sand