This album picks up the pace again after a summer that's dragged a little musically
"I'm gonna build a general store, I'm gonna build a general store, I'm gonna build a general store in the first floor of my house, everybody's gonna be so happy when they see my general store, everybody's gonna go bananee for my little general store." This music is really great, from the off, really great. Like Canada's answer to our Jim Noir, but so much more, John Southworth is a singer/songwriter seemingly straight outta Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
His ice-cream voice and soppy melodies, pop-trodden guitars and airy beats make him stand out from all else; with no pretence he is what he is, a man making music that he sounds like he loves making and making it for those who'll love to hear it. And it's damn charming; from his 'Applecart' telling tales of the tender loving care taken over each apple, to the sweet plea to someone, asking them to 'fly back to my' 'Small Country Airport', gorgeously innocent and simplistically idyllic stuff.
He's certainly a natural-born musician too, of the old-school tribe, someone who cares about what they're up to and someone's who's searching out a new way of bringing it to the fore. Indeed, he toured Canada via train, playing an impromptu gig at every station along the way, it was all filmed too by a local underground filmmaker and it's footage that's definitely something worth get excited over...
'Fall Coloured Girl' is a beautiful song with warm autumnal imagery running through it, the oranges, reds and yellows of that magical season, the sun-glazed eye candy of the leaves on the trees shining through the tune. Then there's 'Constantinople' and 'Gentle Giant', which are hummable bubbles of joy that croon away like they're lifted upon a breeze.
The mad tempo-increasing 'Pug Ahoy' with its quite bizarre lyrics gives way to 'Old Fashioned River Of Rhyme', a nice little ender with folk attributes drawn through a pallet of bright colours, through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory...
It sails you out and in the wake you're left thinking, "Wow, whoo, I liked that." The striking and unique and awe-inspiring 'General Store' opens up this album of gems and throughout there are little bits and bobs that tickle and delight parts of you, it really is quite a special hidden joy. Go get a copy of Southworth's latest 'Yosemite' Sam, it's well worth it brother...