Bitrate:320K/s
Year:2026
Time:42:23
Size:99,8 MB
Label:Levee Ward Records
Styles:Blues Rock
Art:Front
Year:2026
Time:42:23
Size:99,8 MB
Label:Levee Ward Records
Styles:Blues Rock
Art:Front
Tracks Listing:
1. Till the Sun Swallows the Earth - 3:49
2. Shake The Fever - 4:11
3. Mercy and Madness - 4:24
4. Alligator Smile - 3:30
5. The Open Bayou - 5:09
6. Still I Move - 4:29
7. Lay Your Trouble - 4:00
8. Back Down in New Orleans - 4:10
9. Castaway - 4:42
10. What Makes You Real - 3:55
1. Till the Sun Swallows the Earth - 3:49
2. Shake The Fever - 4:11
3. Mercy and Madness - 4:24
4. Alligator Smile - 3:30
5. The Open Bayou - 5:09
6. Still I Move - 4:29
7. Lay Your Trouble - 4:00
8. Back Down in New Orleans - 4:10
9. Castaway - 4:42
10. What Makes You Real - 3:55
New Orleans’ guitar slinger Eric Johanson’s fifth studio set of originals (released Oct. 16) is the first he produced. It’s also the debut for his own label, Levee Ward Records. As such, he proudly takes complete responsibility for every aspect of this recording. And since he has been at it for nearly a decade, he is experienced enough to know what he wants and how to get it. That’s made clear in the pre-release notes where he states “With this record, I didn’t explain anything. I followed the ideas all the way through.”
The basic tracks were laid down in just three days, between live shows, with his tight touring bass and drums duo. That yields a rawer, less structured ambiance, helped enormously by mixing pro Bill Skibbe whose work with Jack White, The Kills and the always unpredictable, gritty and minimalistic Jon Spencer, precedes him. Skibbe’s understanding of how to squeeze the most out of Johanson’s guitar, without overdubs, is one of the many striking aspects of ‘The Open Bayou.’ That’s not to disparage Jesse Dayton’s terrific production of 2023s ‘The Deep and the Dirty,’ also recorded live in the studio, which debuted in the top spot on Billboard’s Blues Chart. But with no one else calling balls and strikes this time, Johanson is particularly proud of this collection. As usual, although blues is the basic thread, Johanson expands into hard rock, 70s psychedelia, and a more eclectic sound. It’s honed and enhanced by Skibbe’s hand and the band connecting in the studio, allowing the songs to flow where the guitarist is most comfortable without outside interference. The one constant is a swampy vibe often prevalent in the music of his New Orleans hometown. Thumping drums vibrate through the title track’s riffs where the rhythm section lays down an ominously boiling undercurrent allowing Johanson’s guitar to shift into an Allman Brothers Band-inflected solo.
The thickness that squirms between the slow, time-bomb ticking heartbeat of “Castaway” is another example of how these songs explode out of the speakers with taut, controlled power. “And I do what I want, and I get what I need…so take all my devotion, just a drop in the ocean” he sings, which could refer to a relationship with a lover or the music he makes. Regardless his Duane Allman-influenced solo pushes the song to the next level without slavishly emulating the deceased guitar icon’s style. Johanson is known for his slide prowess, spotlighted on “Mercy and Madness.” He takes us to the album’s titular bayou, creeping, crawling and gradually submerging the song into the Southern recesses of his psyche. His guitar wrenches and pulls the listener into a dim world where “Sparks fly when the wind blows/Live wire hanging so low.” Early, pre-album release single “Shake the Fever” delivers a wallop with overdriven, almost distorted chords somewhere between Hendrix and older Billy Gibbons. Johanson keeps his vocals restrained yet vital, leaving room for a Trower-like excursion into the darkness. The song suddenly takes a bucolic side road to upend the punch, before returning to the almost metal-ish riff, exploding like a fireworks finale. His guitar punches into a ripping lick any hard rock act would be jealous of on the throbbing “Back Down in New Orleans,” another in a set of captivating blues rockers that emphasize the rocking while staying informed by blues.
Johanson’s expressive, often emotional, boyish voice lightens the disc’s denser qualities. Despite the darker tone, nothing is forced. His lyrics are sharply written and slyly delivered with reserved authority that helps this music land on solid, if swamp-infested, ground.
“More fuzz, more slide, more groove. This is the best thing I’ve ever done” he boasts on his web page. Based on the quality and impressive chart positions of his previous albums, that’s a strong statement. Still, after one spin of the extraordinary ‘The Open Bayou,’ you’ll likely agree.
The basic tracks were laid down in just three days, between live shows, with his tight touring bass and drums duo. That yields a rawer, less structured ambiance, helped enormously by mixing pro Bill Skibbe whose work with Jack White, The Kills and the always unpredictable, gritty and minimalistic Jon Spencer, precedes him. Skibbe’s understanding of how to squeeze the most out of Johanson’s guitar, without overdubs, is one of the many striking aspects of ‘The Open Bayou.’ That’s not to disparage Jesse Dayton’s terrific production of 2023s ‘The Deep and the Dirty,’ also recorded live in the studio, which debuted in the top spot on Billboard’s Blues Chart. But with no one else calling balls and strikes this time, Johanson is particularly proud of this collection. As usual, although blues is the basic thread, Johanson expands into hard rock, 70s psychedelia, and a more eclectic sound. It’s honed and enhanced by Skibbe’s hand and the band connecting in the studio, allowing the songs to flow where the guitarist is most comfortable without outside interference. The one constant is a swampy vibe often prevalent in the music of his New Orleans hometown. Thumping drums vibrate through the title track’s riffs where the rhythm section lays down an ominously boiling undercurrent allowing Johanson’s guitar to shift into an Allman Brothers Band-inflected solo.
The thickness that squirms between the slow, time-bomb ticking heartbeat of “Castaway” is another example of how these songs explode out of the speakers with taut, controlled power. “And I do what I want, and I get what I need…so take all my devotion, just a drop in the ocean” he sings, which could refer to a relationship with a lover or the music he makes. Regardless his Duane Allman-influenced solo pushes the song to the next level without slavishly emulating the deceased guitar icon’s style. Johanson is known for his slide prowess, spotlighted on “Mercy and Madness.” He takes us to the album’s titular bayou, creeping, crawling and gradually submerging the song into the Southern recesses of his psyche. His guitar wrenches and pulls the listener into a dim world where “Sparks fly when the wind blows/Live wire hanging so low.” Early, pre-album release single “Shake the Fever” delivers a wallop with overdriven, almost distorted chords somewhere between Hendrix and older Billy Gibbons. Johanson keeps his vocals restrained yet vital, leaving room for a Trower-like excursion into the darkness. The song suddenly takes a bucolic side road to upend the punch, before returning to the almost metal-ish riff, exploding like a fireworks finale. His guitar punches into a ripping lick any hard rock act would be jealous of on the throbbing “Back Down in New Orleans,” another in a set of captivating blues rockers that emphasize the rocking while staying informed by blues.
Johanson’s expressive, often emotional, boyish voice lightens the disc’s denser qualities. Despite the darker tone, nothing is forced. His lyrics are sharply written and slyly delivered with reserved authority that helps this music land on solid, if swamp-infested, ground.
“More fuzz, more slide, more groove. This is the best thing I’ve ever done” he boasts on his web page. Based on the quality and impressive chart positions of his previous albums, that’s a strong statement. Still, after one spin of the extraordinary ‘The Open Bayou,’ you’ll likely agree.
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