Where the fuck is Sturgill Simpson? Apparently, he’s been on a deserted island, trading his New Balance for some new flip-flops. Or maybe he’s been in a phone booth, exchanging his cape and changing his name.
Johnny Blue Skies, a.k.a. Sturgill Simpson, leaves his mark on his new album – Passage Du Desir. It showcases the sounds we all know he’s capable of, but with a different message. Instead of trying to find himself, he focuses on leaving the past behind and moving forward.
Losing friends, losing heroes & losing himself.
The album opens with an intro of accordion and strings, reminiscent of the French Quarters or Paris itself, where Passage Du Desir was written.. the intro builds anticipation for the album that was never going to be made. When Simpson’s voice rains down, there’s an immediate ease & comfort that fills your body & soul. Sturgill Simpson is simply one of the greatest to do it.
The second track, If The Sun Never Rises Again – drips with an R&B swagger that only Johnny Blue Skies could deliver. On the third track, Scooter Blues, he gets real and opens up on his true position: no looking back, no regrets, but maybe a desire to do it all over – just differently. Becoming someone else entirely.
“They don’t ask you what your name is when you get up to heaven, and thank, God. I couldn’t tell her if I had to”
The immersive experience and inspired moments of his musical journey create an excellent listen that true music lovers will embrace, meeting expectations often unmet in today’s music scene.
In closing, Passage Dy Desir ends with One For The Road, sounding like an era of Sturgill in which he and Laur Joamets often glided through a sonic kaleidoscope of country-laden guitar grooves.
He’s done it again folks, and I for one am glad he did.
– @meanwhile_in_music