Ben Johnson wears ruby red lipstick on the cover of his debut EP, his CD's title seemingly carved into his cheek with a knife. So you know right off, the guy's into drama. And drama is delivered in spades on Johnson's adventurous and arresting curtain-raiser. Ben channels Nina Simone on the opener, "Most Of All," accompanying himself on a piano that's deliberately in need of tuning. Johnson's keys are well-tempered — but he is not — on the next two tracks, "Higher Than The Rock" and "Let It All Come Down On Me," whose dark urgency summons ol' Nick Cave to mind. "Not Enough" is the catchiest number here, but its pop roots are torn up by weird, suffocated guitars. Idiosyncratic production also distinguishes "There Is No Pain," with its the tar-covered bass line recalling PJ Harvey's Dry period. Ben bows out on a down note with "The World Without You In It," a mournful, intimate song that Thom Yorke might have penned in an especially glum moment. Keep an eye out for this young man.

Contact Information:
Steeldog Productions
1042 N. Winchester #1
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 316-5807
USA
benjohnson@steeldog.org
http://www.benjohnsonmusic.com

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