No Ordinary Crown

For someone as prolific as Will Johnson, taking two years between albums might seem like a bit of a stretch, although hes had plenty on his plate since the release of 2021s El Capitan -- publishing his first novel, releasing two albums as part of Marie/Lepanto (his collaboration with Justin Peter Kinkel-Schuster of Water Liars), touring as a member of Jason Isbells 400 Unit, pursuing his career as a visual artist, and the demands of being a father and husband. But if anyone thought that Johnson was slacking off, 2023s No Ordinary Crown should set that thought aside. While Johnson wrote most of the songs in short bursts while on the road and recorded the material in just five days, No Ordinary Crown sounds epic, a powerfully atmospheric realization of the possibilities of Johnsons talents as a composer. Melodically, this music is still rooted in the elemental folkiness thats his musical North Star, but with a small ensemble of trusted collaborators (Britton Beisenherz, Ricky Ray Jackson, Roberto Sanchez, and Lindsey Verrill), hes expanded his arrangements to IMAX-size proportions, with the wall of noisy guitars on "Swine," the ominous percussion-heavy soundscapes of "Alta (Warped Kite)," and the chugging, muscular country-rock of "The Conductor Calls" as evidence. While Johnson understands the concept of "Go Big or Go Home" and makes savvy use of it, No Ordinary Crown is never bombastic for its own sake, and on "In Granada" and "Conduct" his turned-down amps let dynamics do the work, though the washes of keyboard and steel guitar that color the performances, and the spare, sorrowful take of "Of Passengers and Plight" that closes the album are a master class in how to make music thats both unobtrusive and emotionally forceful. The tone of No Ordinary Crown is for the most part downbeat, as Johnson contemplates the bad luck and random disappointments that have plagued so many in the era in which this was recorded, yet its also full of life and passion, and the notes of an artist who has been let down but isnt giving up. Its a truly memorable salvo from a musician who can seemingly spin gold. ~ Mark Deming