Freedy Johnston Right Between The Promises CD

This is a Hyper CD which contains regular audio tracks and a link to the artist's website with the help of a web browser.

Right Between the Promises comes across as simultaneously the flip side of, and a companion piece to, 1999's Blue Days Black Nights. Where that album's songs flowed with an ominous energy barely concealed by the moody, hushed tones of their surface, Promises forces those same emotions out into the light -- a cathartic, rocked-out release to Nights' endless tension. The result? Smart, darkly ambiguous songs that nevertheless seem built for high-volume, summertime play on a car stereo. Promises continues the slant toward vague, impressionistic character studies, and away from narrative Johnston started on that previous album. In a way, though, it's telling that his sole cover here is an unabashedly straight version of Edison Lighthouse's '70s bubblegum hit "Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)" -- and more telling that he does it so well. Even the strangest stuff here has a certain accessibility: The chunky, harmonically fractured blues "Back to My Machine" holds attention despite its overly ambitious, science fiction-themed lyrics. The few tunes that hark back to the subdued quality of Nights have a new aura of poppiness, too; the gentle guitar hook in "Arriving on a Train" sounds breezy rather than just forebodingly delicate, and not even the prominent cellos and violins seem mournful. The disc includes the first studio appearance of "Radio for Heartache," previewed on Johnston's 2000 live record Live at 33 1/3. Right Between the Promises may not be as richly nuanced as his very best work, but it's still a fine example of his idiosyncratic brand of intelligent, radio-friendly folk-rock. ~ Kenneth Bays

Personnel: Freedy Johnston (vocals, guitar); Cameron Greider (guitar, piano, bass, percussion, background vocals); Mark Haines (guitar, tambourine); John Vriesacker (violin); Karl Lavine (cello); Tina Kakuske (flute); Jay Moran (piano, background vocals); Graham Maby, Paul Eske, Phil Lyons (bass); Alan Bezozi, Butch Vig, Bon Hamlet (drums); Tom Williams (tambourine); James "Pie" Cowan (percussion); Mary Gaines, Christine Gatti (background vocals).

Engineers include: Juan Garcia, John Siket, Jay Moran.

Personnel: Freedy Johnston (vocals, guitar); Cameron Greider (vocals, guitar, piano, percussion); Mark Haines (guitar, tambourine); Jon J. Vriesacker (violin); Alan Bezozi, Butch Vig (drums); Mary Gaines (background vocals).

Audio Mixer: John Siket.

Recording information: Duotone Audio Recording, NY; One Take Studios; Smart Studios, Madison; The Magic Shop, NY; The Steamroom, NY; Theater 99, NY.

Photographer: Ken Schles.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.Rolling Stone (9/13/01, p.112) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...He just sings his modestly fluid, sweet-toned tunes in a voice to match...as if he's trying to reinvent folk music..."
CMJ (8/13/01, p.29) - "...Proves his status as one of Americana's quintessential songwriters..."
No Depression (11-12/01, p.134) - "...Most everything here would fit comfortably among the highlights of Johnston's 1990s catalog - which is a positive thing when your catalog is as strong as his..."