
Donโt let the band name fool you: This oneโs for a rainy day. Reid Johnson, captain of the indefatigable local indie-rock band Schooner, also has a solo project called Sun Studies (the INDY spoke with him about it in January), in which he unleashes his distinctive croon among sparser arrangements.
Johnson is releasing Sketches online on May 3 and as a limited-edition, hand-made EP the next day, at the Bull City Records release party. The songs were recorded by James Phillips. Weโre particularly entranced by โYou, Reversed,โ where spare, saturnine acoustic folk-rock bears along a striking vocal performance, heavily draped but surprisingly mobile. Johnsonโs baritone has the stern majesty of Scott Walker, but itโs softened by the syrupy ache of Roy Orbison, and here, itโs clasped in a melody that you donโt realize is catchy until itโs stuck in your head.


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