TRACK BY TRACK with Paul SlavensPaul Slavnes, host of 90.1 at Night and national treasure, takes listeners through Mount Pelée song by song. http://www.kera.org/artandseek/content/2009/09/14/track-by-track-with-paul-slavens-trey-johnson/
CD REVIEW: HARDER BEAT MAGAZINEHarder Beat Thank you, Trey Johnson. Thanks for giving Dallas yet another reason to be so proud of its underrated music scene. Right from the start, Mount Pelée captivates. Sounding like a distant relative of Sorta (Trey’s previous band), the disc is both familiar yet fresh. It’s also more mature than anything Trey has released to date, which is nice. Since the aging hipsters that grooved to Sorta’s songs a decade ago now have families and regular 9 to 5’s, they need a balladeer that can speak about their post-bar and beer college days. Sorta was Dallas’ answer to Wilco, but Trey’s solo disc sprinkles that alt-country sound on just a few songs for flavor. Most lean more towards earlier influences, such as Bob Dylan and The Beatles. Acoustic guitars take a backstage to a softly stroked piano, making for a very mellow disc.The best tracks are “Old Reactions” and “Bragging Type.” Of course, it’s hard to find fault with any of the eleven songs found on this 44-minute masterpiece.
CD REVIEW: EVNY MAGAZINE Envy 4 stars Trey Johnson's new album, Mount Pelée, has entered the rock universe with a sound that's all his own, with intertwining influences of The Fray and Remy Zero. Johnson leads into the album with upbeat, piano-driven ballads, then softens it up towards the end with love songs. Following the tragic death of former Sorta bandmakte, Carter Albrecht, Johnson captures despairing yet hopeful and witty renderings that reflect a certain honest that's hard to come by in these days of making it rain and good girls gone bad. The record truly reflects what Johnson holds dear without being melodramatic. At times, Mount Pelée has a proud, joyful quality with romping horns and whistful piano. "Unfavorable Way", "Braggin Type" and "The Radio" are arguable the album's most notable and heartfelt.
Bonus MP3: Trey Johnson -- "Unfavorable Way"Dallas Observer - DC9 at Night This week marks the release of former Sorta frontman Trey Johnson's debut solo release, Mount Pelée, a disc that finds Johnson and his familiar, classic, soothing voice heading in a somewhat different direction. How so? Well, the disc kinda sounds like it's a blend of Sorta and the eccentric, toungue-in-cheek sounds of Shibboleth--which, OK, makes perfect sense: Shibboleth's Don Cento arranged and produced the new record. Oh, and he plays on it, too, along with the rest of Shibboleth (bassist James Driscoll and keys man Rich Martin) and drummer Matt Kellum of Chomsky, giving Johnson a quite the capable crew of backing players. Kinda like, well, Sorta, really. And that's the thing about Johnson: A fine singer, songwriter and downright clever lyricist on his own, it seems like he's always had the good sense to realize that, in this crowded musical landscape, that alone isn't necessarily enough. And, indeed, as much as Johnson's own work on this disc stands out, so too does his backing players'. No doubt those abilities will be on display tonight as Johnson and his band head to Good Records to celebrate Mount Pelée's release with a free in-store performance tonight at 7. Download "Unfavorable Way" here:
From the ashes of Dallas band Sorta, Trey Johnson rises to the top of the mountain.Must-see shows by Texas artists for July 31-Aug. 1 Dallas Morning News The former lead singer goes solo on Mount Pelée , his debut that has all original songs. The disc, which just arrived in stores, is a sometimes-somber, sometimes-lilting and always-compelling set of 11 tracks that walk the fine lines separating pop from country from rock. Johnson plays guitar and piano on the airy, uncluttered record while being backed by the five members of local instrumental band Shibboleth. He travels through bouncy pop ("Bragging Type"); lovely balladry ("Lucky When Someone Loves You"); roots rock ("Flatter Yourself"); and forlorn, plaintive dirge ("Bottle of Rum"). The Dallas resident, a husband and father of two children, sounds refreshed and mature in his new creative outlet.
Quick DFW: Video Interview
http://blog.quickdfw.com/archives/2009/07/video-danny-balis-and-trey-joh.html
REVIEW: Ghost of Blind LemonFirst of all, I must mention that today is the day that Trey Johnson's first solo CD, Mount Pelee, hits both stores and iTunes. Mr. Johnson is one Dallas' finest songwriters, and he has composed eleven great songs for this debut effort. Some of the tracks ("A Fire, Train and an Enemy", "Struggle to Find") feel like they could be outtakes from previous Sorta sessions, while others ("Old Reactions", "Unfavorable Way") are a departure from the sound of his previous band. Some things never change however, like Trey's trademark haunting voice and his ability to pen lyrics both intelligent and heartfelt. Do yourself a favor and pick up this CD. Thursday might be a good date to purchase it at Good Records, as Trey will be performing that evening at 7 pm. http://ghostofblindlemon.blogspot.com/2009/07/few-pieces-of-news-today.htm
REVIEW: Former Sorta frontman releases his solo debut "Mount Pelée"Dallas Morning News For those local-music fans still mourning the demise of Sorta, not to mention the death of Carter Albrecht, Trey Johnson's solo debut should at least ease the pain. The Dallas-based Johnson, former Sorta frontman, looked inward to craft 11 original songs brimming with uncluttered beauty. Johnson's muse swims squarely in the musical river that connects country, folk, roots rock and Americana. And yet there's something very downtown about his tunes. He writes, sings and plays with the spirit of a man who's seen plenty of the big city and the rural countryside. In other words, he's experienced the purity and cruelty of life. So Mount Pelée has a world-weary feel, particularly on forlorn cuts such as "Bottle of Rum" and "Uneven Life." But he's not ready to throw in the towel. This husband and father offers the lovely ballad "Lucky When Someone Loves You," devoid of any sugary affectations. He can also brood on the roots rocker "Flatter Yourself" and go completely pop on the buoyant "Bragging Type." Mount Pelée features Dallas instrumental band Shibboleth as backing musicians. Don Cento and Stuart Sikes produced the disc with clarity conducive to creating a mood. The CD is somber, jubilant, stark and rich. It becomes more compelling with each listen.
REVIEW: TEXas music magazineTexas Music Magazine Johnson was the lead singer and principle songwriter in Sorta, so it’s not surprising that his Mount Pelée sounds, well, kinda familiar – in the absolute best sense of the word. The instrumentation is noticeably sparser with acoustic guitar and piano dominating throughout, and the overall mood feels somewhat lighter, at least musically if not lyrically. But Johnson’s melancholy yet strangely buoyant melodies – the heart of Sorta’s appeal – have never been stronger. The record opens with the soaring, Paul McCartneyesque “Old Reactions” then floats dreamily back to earth with the gorgeous “Unfavorable Way”. Not all of the songs here are quite that outstanding, but every one of them – even the instrumental “Mr. Natural” – plays like a welcome reassurance that all is not lost. In fact, Mount Pelée sounds exactly like what it needs to be: a new beginning.
review: Trey Johnson, Trés Solo Modern Luxury Dallas Although you may own all the Sorta back catalogs, might have attended their gigs with religious zeal, memorized the words to every song, and be the virtual president of the gone-but-not-forgotten band’s fan club, you’re still in for 44- plus minutes of surprise when you drop your laser on Trey Johnson’s debut CD, Mount Pelée. “To me it all sounds like songs that basically came from the same well,” Johnson says with characteristic self-eff acement, “but according to Don [producer Don Cento] it sounds dramatically diff erent. He was wonderful about taking these songs and presenting them in diff erent ways.” " e 40-year-old Johnson, who’s best known to fans as Sorta’s songwriter, voice and musical compass, isn’t one to recycle ideas or fl uff up the pillows in his comfort zone. With Mount Pelée, he comes of age as a mature songsmith on a creative high-wire and establishes himself as an artist who can stand on his own two feet without a band, drawing instead, on empathetic session players and an imaginative production team to realize his vision. For Johnson, a Dallas native who’s married and the father of two, songwriting has always been key: His infl uences range from Dylan to Cobain to “all the Hanks” and beyond. “Stumbling on melodies that seem fresh and alive is the most exciting thing for me,” he enthuses. “And one thing that’s really infl uenced this record is children’s books: I’ve been swimming in nursery rhymes for the last fi ve years, and a few of these songs started as children’s songs, bouncy and really repetitive.” In producer/arranger Cento and co-producer/engineer Stuart Sikes he’s found a dream team of kindred spirits, and the collaborative gestalt imbues Mount Pelée with the élan of arrival. “Stuart likes pure sound, and I do, too,” Johnson says. “Sonically, he doesn’t want to just fi ll up empty space, or put butter all over the sound of a particular instrument. Don was willing to take chances and put weird faces on things. I’d bring in songs that wound up being something totally diff erent than I’d initially thought. It was great, and very exciting.” Unlike Johnson’s earlier, guitar-driven material, most of the songs on Mount Pelée were written at the piano: " e songwriter credits that departure as a signifi cant change in direction. Cento’s astute arrangements, which involve everything from horn section to string section, Hammond to Wurlitzer, mandolin to female voices, recall at times the pioneering work of Jack Nitzsche with Neil Young, Jon Brion with Aimee Mann and T Bone Burnett with Sam Phillips. As a fi rst-time producer, his contributions to Mount Pelée are auspicious. Immediate standout tracks include the wryly humorous Unfavorable Way, the artful chamber-pop of Old Reactions, and the quietly dramatic confessional that is Struggle to Find. “I’m as happy right now as I’ve ever been in my whole life, and certainly my family is a huge part of that,” Johnson acknowledges. “And I’m so pleased to be able to be a songwriter, and thankful I made that decision.” |
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