Nels Johnson - IOS

by Zena Grieg

published: 20 / 2 / 2023

Label: Nels Johnson
Format: CD

intro

Minimalist and atmospheric second album from Portland-based singer-songwriter Nels Johnson and his band The Accidental Saints

Portland-based singer-songwriter Nels Johnson has released a new record, accompanied by his band The Accidental Saints, the follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut album ‘Take Me Home.’ Rebelling against an Evangelical upbringing, Johnson took up guitar playing, joining punk bands in his teens, then opting for a life of conformity studying law, before choosing to return to music in 2016. An album of original compositions, co-produced with Bryan Appel and Casey Anderson, ‘Ios’ is an authentic musical journey revolving around the experiences and stories which shape us. This new record was inspired by a trip Johnson took to the Aegean island of Ios with three of the album’s songs conceived there, ‘Rest’, ‘Surrender’ and ‘Holy Men “It was a place of total relaxation, which freed me up to slow down, quiet all the loud voices and get in touch with what I was feeling…I experienced a sense of freedom and just comfort in my skin that I don’t know that I’ve ever experienced before.” Songs to listen out for in this ten-track collection include: the atmospheric opener ‘Sixteen Years’; the sombre single ‘American Dream,’ an ode to immigrants in America: “As a kid, I had no idea how hard and how brave the decision was to cross the border… sometimes leaving families behind, all to work a job that was extremely physically hard and didn’t make a lot of money”; the poppy ‘Wake Me Up’ about the despair of living in the shadow of an unresolved life; ‘Surrender’ about the need to embrace the unknown; and the closer ‘Holy Men’ on opening up to what is left when places, people and memories fade away. A minimalist album, highlighting Johnson’s textured vocals, ‘Ios’ leaves a lasting imprint on the listener.

Track Listing:-

1 Sixteen Years
2 The Light That Guides Me
3 Her Memories
4 American Dream
5 Rest
6 Wake Me Up
7 Old Virginia
8 Surrender
9 Another Peace of Mind
10 Holy Men