You could refer to Sun Glories, multi-instrumentalist Chuck Johnson‘s latest album, as “ambient country”. Indeed, his soundscapes have a widescreen feel that implements pedal steel guitar and twangy fingerpicking, but his well-executed use of synthesizers and meditative drones results in a more eclectic—and ultimately, more satisfying—overall sound.
Johnson’s 2011 debut album, A Struggle Not a Thought, was a gorgeous slice of solo acoustic guitar primitivism. He eventually picked up the pedal steel for 2017’s Balsams, which helped redefine his sound – gorgeous, reverb-drenched layers mixing with synthesizers and treatments not unlike a more sedate version of Explosions in the Sky. While Johnson has added other instruments (and musicians) to the mix with subsequent albums, the addition of Ryan Jewell on drums and Cole Pulice on tenor saxophone and electronics for Sun Glories allows Johnson to occasionally instill more of a full band sound to a few songs.
That type of sound is evident on the opening track, “Teleos”, as circular, tom-heavy beats wind their way through the song but are muted enough to give the song a tender affectation; in fact, the press notes go so far as to describe the epic track as “channel(ing) a bittersweet relief and nostalgia that floods the senses with the arrival of longer, warmer days after rainy stretches of winter”. But Sun Glories also revels in more mysterious sounds, as on “Superior Image”, which matches pedal steel and electric guitars with droning, soothing beds of synthesizers and organs without a trace of percussion. That’s one of many instances where the record’s title is perfectly chosen, with the soundscapes evoking a striking desert sunset.
Along the same lines but going even further, “Hovering” is downright science fiction, with synths front and center and the lone guitar sounds being a wash of gauzy distortion. But often, as on the elegant “Sylvanshine”, Chuck Johnson excels at marrying stately and eloquent fingerpicking with lush keyboards (and Pulice’s saxophone, which makes a memorable, if muted, appearance late in the track).
With “Ground Wave”, Johnson is accompanied by cellist Clarice Jensen and violinist Emily Packard, who multitracked their instruments to create a chamber ensemble sound. That results in a stunning aural vibe that recalls Johnson’s past film score work (which included participation with Jensen). Rarely has a track not intended to accompany a film sounded so much like it belongs in one.
Sun Glories ends with something of a bang, as “Broken Spectre” brings Jewell’s distinctive drums back into the fold – creating a second bookend with “Teleos”, you could say. The propulsive, anthemic, almost cathartic sound that concludes the album’s final minutes recalls the post-rock feel of bands like Mono or We Lost the Sea. Sun Glories sees Chuck Johnson continuing along a path he’s quite familiar with but is constantly tweaking the sound – not necessarily attempting perfection, but something even better: hopefulness and eloquence.