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***Mike Johnson
A YEAR OF MONDAYS
(TAG/ATLANTIC)
On Where Am I?, his solo debut last year on the Seattle indie label Up,
Dinosaur Jr.
bassist Johnson seemed intent on escaping the raging guitars of Mount Mascis
for a quieter kind of storm. Murky acoustic guitars, languorous beats, and
stark, folky arrangements created a rustic backdrop for a deep-woodsy voice
that conveyed the kind of unsettled emotions you'd expect from a friend of
Mascis.A Year of Mondays (in stores this Tuesday) picks up where Where Am I? left off. Lone violin, soft-strummed guitars, a gentle beat, and distant female harmonies surround the contemplative cool of Johnson's vocals on the first track. But this time he's aided by some harder-rocking pals -- Mascis (drums, bass, guitar), Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin (bass), and the gals in Seattle's Juned (vocals, guitar, bass). Johnson's penchant for spare, narcotic moods is satisfying on its own; understated tracks like "Another Side" and "Left in the Dark" should appeal to anyone who appreciated the two Mark Lanegan solo discs he collaborated on. But the occasional squalls of feedback-laced guitar and thundering drums on energetic tunes like "Way It Will Be/Too Far" and "Circle" are a welcome breakout.
-- Matt Ashare
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