The thing I most like about the music of Calvin Johnson is how resolutely it sits out there, on its own terms. For a guy who gets credit (and rightfully so), for being a pioneer of American DIY, the tunes of the former Beat Happening singer really don't fit preconceived terms of what indie should sound like. Resolutely his own person, Calvin sings what he wants, jumps from genre to genre (frequently within the space of one record), and continues to stand as one of the real iconoclasts of American rock.
Gallows Wine, the new album from Calvin, is out tomorrow on K Records, the label he formed and continues to run. It's a release with more variety in style than the fine A Wonderful Beast from about four years ago, though it is, of course, uniquely Calvin. "Pink Cadillac" stumbles in like a drunk, all Nick Cave circa 1985, while "Good and Crazy" is more Peggy Lee or Julie London. Johnson really sells this one, and I can't quite tell if he's having a laugh or not, but I really don't give a shit as it's one of his best solo compositions in ages. Elsewhere, the title number is a song for the end of the world, a languid ramble as things wind down or the drinks stop, while "Orange Aid" is more complex. This one, a real highlight here, mixes in flashes of instrumentation that made me think of British post-punk stuff from a bunch of decades ago. Johnson lets the enterprise unravel, and the whole thing is messy in an interesting way, with flashes of wit and cleverness that remind yet again what a treasure this guy still is.
Vaguely informed by the blues, Gallows Wine is both a de-construction of that genre, and an affirmation of it on Calvin's white-guy terms. It's a fun record, and one with enough variety in mood and tone as to be engaging in a big way, possibly even to new fans of Calvin Johnson. For those of us who've been on the ride for a few decades (Jesus Christ, has it really been that long!?), Gallows Wine proves that this dude can still surprise. His music makes me smile, and when he sounds this loose and comfortable with the risks he's taking, I really, really find myself becoming a big fan all over again.
Gallows Wine by Calvin Johnson is out tomorrow via K Records.
[Photo: Lauren Ray]