Chuck Johnson - Balsams (2017)

Chuck Johnson's pedal steel guitar debut delivers a group of pieces for ambient meditation. Recorded in a single two-week session during late 2015, and subsequently arranged/constructed/treated in the studio in spring of 2016, Balsams is awash in layers of tonal perfection. The album constantly evolves while maintaining a unified approach across both sides. Balsams is a record that lives outside genre and time, one that continues to develop with each successive deep listen. A unique expansion in the VDSQ catalog, Balsams is an album created in the hopes of providing solace and regenerative energies for many years to come. Chuck Johnson has released several instrumental guitar lps over the last five years on labels like Three Lobed and Trouble in Mind, easily claiming the respect and admiration of the solo guitar community. Rather than focus solely on American Primitive, Johnson's wide palate, used often for his soundtrack work, is on full display on Balsams, an LP owing more to Eno/Budd than Fahey or Basho. A consummate musician at the height of his powers, Chuck Johnson delivers perhaps his most unique and enjoyable work to date with this pedal steel perfection. Fans of drone, minimalism and modern composition take note.