‘Houses’ has flecks of that lonesome sound painted over its exterior. Faraone’s voice is soft, unworried, and relaxed throughout the course of the six tracks, but he remains interesting still. I never tire of listening to these songs despite the unhurried nature of the tunes, there is certainly an energy here, it just isn’t what you think of when a listener perhaps hears the word “energy”.

(photo by Ryan Lang)

Driven by acoustic guitar and piano with just the right amount of pedal steel flavor for good measure, there is a warmness in the songs. They all seem to relate to one another, like a continuous and flowing narrative. That is something else I dig about this collection, it feels just like that, a collection. One that belongs together. Like a shelf of old vinyl from a songwriters influences…in this case, ranging from Dylan to Elliot Smith and to Ryan Adams.

John is a great songwriter. What is most remarkable, is he hasn’t been at this all that long but comes across as a seasoned pro. With straightforward, but expressive and telling lyrics, he tells stories that could be about anyone who happens to listen in. There is a universal likeability to him as a performer. Unassuming, calming, but still very touching in his delivery of his words.

she gets sick when she drinks whiskey, but she has a good time,

she only smokes cheap cigarettes, and loves expensive wine

 Faraone’s ‘Houses’ is a record that took me far too long to really bite into, but a record I will be continuously revisiting when I need something a little bit somber, but really f*cking great, to warm my soul just a bit.

http://johnfaraone.com/