The Starless Room James Johnston SKU: CH087LP Barcode: 4015698009033 21.00 £21.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Clouds Hill Released Date: 17th November 2016 Buying Format: 1LP Out of stock Back Order Add to your Wishlist Description Product Info Listen: http://bit.ly/2duySnq Promo Update> Reviews confirmed in Q, MOJO (4*), UNCUT, Vive Le Rock, LTW, R2, The Arts Desk, Freq Quietus feature confirmed Louder Than War news story plus video preview WATCH THIS ! James Johnston (Gallon Drunk) brilliant solo debut Vive Le Rock news story JAMES JOHNSTON UNVEILS SOLO DEBUT! Debut solo album by Gallon Drunk mainman and integral member of PJ Harvey’s band, currently touring the world with PJ Harvey with the Hope Six Demolition Project The Starless Room is the debut solo album by Gallon Drunk mainman and PJ Harvey cohort James Johnston. The Starless Room – The results are a revelation, and not just for James Johnston. Vast in its scope, visceral, intimate and instinctive – ” I just followed whatever triggered an emotional response in me”. The Starless Room represents a remarkable distillation of both his lyrical obsessions and prodigious, arguably under-acknowledged talent. Suitably, it’s the title track that encapsulates the romantic sweep of the record best, with its star at his most intense and Sebastian Hoffman’s string arrangements at their most ambitious. For James Johnston, however, the greatest pleasure of all is a simple one: the songs’ slow tempos, “Something I adore, like a lot of the Isaac Hayes or Ray Charles albums that I love. It almost feels like I’m listening to someone else’s record.” But it’s not. It’s James Johnston’s debut solo album, The Starless Room. Like he said, it feels just right. James Johnston – As well as playing with Gallon Drunk, James Johnston has spent considerable time working with others: A mid 90s spell as a touring guitarist in The Bad Seeds led to a full role in Nick Cave’s band between 2003 and 2008, and he’s performed regularly with other iconic acts, including Lydia Lunch, Faust, and, currently, PJ Harvey, on whose The Hope Six Demolition Project Johnston appears. But if it sounds like he’s softened on this album, he argues powerfully otherwise. “The band’s records have quite an earthy feel, but in a way this is rawer, more focused and direct, musically and emotionally. The last Gallon Drunk record’s my favourite, and it was certain elements of that which I really wanted to take further, to strip away the dissonance and anger, to reject the more familiar sounds in order to free it all up again. So the instrumentation is very different, led by piano and voice, and the overall sound is lush yet intimate. Overall it’s far more reflective of me, both as a person and the sort of music I actually listen to.” ” It felt right, and when that happens, you just go with it,” says James Johnston of his decision, well into a third decade as frontman of Gallon Drunk, to record The Starless Room, his unexpectedly sumptuous, long-awaited, debut solo album. Over eight albums, Gallon Drunk have carved out a reputation as a savage live act whose work has increasingly revealed a bold sophistication, growing from the psychotic fury of 1991’s You, The Night… And The Music up to 2014’s epic The Soul Of The Hour. A solo album by their co-founder, though? That had somehow never come to pass. Especially one this lavish” It wasn’t something I’d really considered before,” Johnston admits, and even now he appears a little startled by the turn events have taken. “But that’s where the writing was going. I’ve always poured all my ideas into Gallon Drunk, but we’d done two great records in fairly quick succession, and I really didn’t want to repeat myself, so I was writing in a different way, one that didn’t feel like it would work as Gallon Drunk. The moment the decision was made to go ahead with a solo album it freed a lot of things up for me, letting it go somewhere different without any constraints or expectations.” The Starless Room is distinguished by its grandeur and romance as much as its refreshing musical approach. As well as playing with Gallon Drunk, Johnston has spent considerable time working with others: a mid 90s spell as a touring guitarist in The Bad Seeds led to a full role in Nick Cave’s band between 2003 and 2008, and he’s performed regularly with other iconic acts, including Lydia Lunch, Faust, and, currently, PJ Harvey, on whose The Hope Six Demolition Project Johnston appears. Given the licentious nature of much of his previous work, that this newly mature, refined sound is indicative of Johnston’s character may be unforeseen. His influences, however – “Big Star’s Third, John Cale’s 70s albums, Lee Hazlewood, Nina Simone, that sort of thing” – remain much as they were, if arguably employed with a new, more thoughtful perspective. Furthermore, his considered approach is indicative of a man with a musical education, both formal and informal. Suitably, it’s the title track that encapsulates the romantic sweep of the record best, with its star at his most intense and Sebastian Hoffman’s string arrangements at their most ambitious. For Johnston, however, the greatest pleasure of all is a simple one: the songs’ slow tempos, “something I adore, like a lot of the Isaac Hayes or Ray Charles albums that I love. It almost feels like I’m listening to someone else’s record.” But it’s not. It’s James Johnston’s debut solo album, The Starless Room. Like he said, it feels just right. Artist James Johnston Genre Rock And Pop Label Clouds Hill Buying Options 1LP Format 1LP Condition New Country United Kingdom Track Listings 1.I'd Give You Anything 2.St. Martha's 3.Starless Room 4.Cold Morning Light 5.Dark Water 6.Frozen Time 7.Heart And Soul 8.The Light Of Love 9.Let It Fall 10.When The Wolf Calls Share this On Facebook On Twitter Via Email More from Rock And Pop View Product Quick View Weezer SZNZ: Summer Rock And Pop | Atlantic | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 19th May 2023 £28.00 - £30.00 Select options Weezer SZNZ: Summer £28.00 - £30.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Atlantic Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 19th May 2023 Read More Select options View Product Quick View Night Terrors, The Back To Zero Leftfield / Experimental | Homeless | 2LP Released 24th June 2013 £37.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Night Terrors, The Back To Zero £37.00 Genre: Leftfield / Experimental Label: Homeless SKU: HOMELESS2 Formats: 2LP Released Date: 24th June 2013 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Leonard Cohen Popular Problems Rock And Pop | Sony Music | 1LP, Includes CD Released 9th October 2014 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Leonard Cohen Popular Problems £18.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Sony Music SKU: 88875014291 Formats: 1LP, Includes CD Released Date: 9th October 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Stereo MC's Connected Rock And Pop | UMC | 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released 31st May 2019 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Stereo MC's Connected £18.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: UMC SKU: 7745642 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 31st May 2019 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Boz Scaggs A Fool To Care Rock And Pop | Savoy | 1LP Released 5th May 2015 £22.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Boz Scaggs A Fool To Care £22.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Savoy SKU: FTN16036 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 5th May 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Slowclub Complete Surrender Rock And Pop | Caroline | 1LP, Includes Download Code Released 11th July 2014 £19.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Slowclub Complete Surrender £19.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Caroline SKU: CAROL1LP Formats: 1LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 11th July 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Blondie Autoamerican Rock And Pop | UMC | 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released 1st May 2015 £18.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Blondie Autoamerican £18.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: UMC SKU: 5355036 Formats: 180g, 1LP, Includes Download Code Released Date: 1st May 2015 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders View Product Quick View Peter Barclay I’m Not Your Toy Rock And Pop | Numero | 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released 17th February 2023 £20.00 - £22.00 Select options Peter Barclay I’m Not Your Toy £20.00 - £22.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Numero Formats: 1LP, Coloured Vinyl Released Date: 17th February 2023 Read More Select options Nearly New View Product Quick View Vince Martin & Fred Neil Tear Down The Walls Folk | Sundazed | 1LP Released 17th November 2022 £16.00 Add to basket Reserve View Reservations Vince Martin & Fred Neil Tear Down The Walls £16.00 Genre: Folk Label: Sundazed SKU: nn253540 Formats: 1LP Released Date: 17th November 2022 Reserve View Reservations Read More Add to basket View Product Quick View Peter Murphy Lion Rock And Pop | Nettwerk | 2LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released 2nd June 2014 £19.00 Back Order View Pre/Back Orders Peter Murphy Lion £19.00 Genre: Rock And Pop Label: Nettwerk SKU: 310071 Formats: 2LP, Gatefold Sleeve Released Date: 2nd June 2014 Read More Back Order View Pre/Back Orders See more in Rock And Pop Start again
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