This is a good solid acoustic rock debut album from Michael Johnston, the former lead singer with the band Villanelle. The lyrics are intelligent without being predictable and show real promise. Some of the songs are slightly reminiscent of Jars of Clay. Even two ballads obviously slated for radio play, "Trust" and "I'll Give," escape the triteness of most CCM music. "Monkey Paw," "Anymore," and "There's a Day" pick up the beat, break loose, and rawk enough to keep me interested. It would have been nice if they would have cranked it up for more songs.
3 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse November 1997Reviewed by Roger AppelinskiFor those of you that read liner notes, you might recognize the names of three of the five members of Smalltown Poets: Michael Johnston (lead vocals, guitar), Danny Stephens (keyboards), and Byron Goggin (drums). This trio was part of another five-piece a few years back called Villanelle. They now join with Miguel DeJesus (bass) and Kevin Breuner (guitars) and forge a new sound on their very…The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Josh SpencerI like this. It's akin to The Waiting, with its radio-friendly but quite authentic alternative rock sound. Good balance of clean tones and distortion, with some acoustic sprinklings as well. Creative lyrics that are still easy to understand. Nice vocals (again, similar to The Waiting). Good stuff for fans of Black-Eyed Sceva, Dime Store Prophets, Counting Crows, and the like. 3.5 tocksThe Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by Mark J. AylorI like these guys. They are perfect for my mellow moods. They fall in the same category as Caedmon's Call, Dime Store Prophets, Gin Blossoms, Jars of Clay, and Three Crosses -- light alternative rock. There are plenty of jangly guitars (both acoustic and electric), and melodious keyboards, but thankfully little drum machine (in contrast with several of the bands listed). The lyrics are clear,…Similar sounding releases
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