Ronan Johnston - Songs Of Consolation

Published Tuesday 26th February 2008
Ronan Johnston - Songs Of Consolation
Ronan Johnston - Songs Of Consolation

STYLE: Pop
RATING 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 44670-13720
LABEL: Independent
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Back in the '90s Ronan Johnston was one of the main creative forces in the Irish band Emmaus and before that he was responsible for hit records by Zig And Zag. I'm not making this up! Now Rojo, as his friends know him, has returned with a highly accomplished singer/songwriter album. 'Songs Of Consolation' sets him up as a mainstream observer of life and people and emotional intrigues. All of this is wrapped up in a highly listenable catchy pop rock format topped by a great voice. Following his mother's sudden death from complications after catching a hospital superbug, Johnston penned a flurry of songs that helped him get through the grief. Surprisingly these are not dark, self-indulgent ballads but instead brim with life, optimism and a wry sense of humour. The opening three tracks, "Call My Name", "High" and "Overnight Mechanic" all set the scene with their infectious melodies. Highlights are the optimistic "Take Heart" which features a fabulous string arrangement and at the other extreme, there's the understated soulfulness of the ballad "Everybody Wants To Be Loved". Think of your favourite singer/songwriters and if they include Elvis Costello, Crowded House and Nick Lowe, I reckon you need to search this one out.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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Reader Comments

Posted by William Mackay in Bangor, Northern Ireland @ 23:38 on Feb 28 2008

Superb offering from a superb artist and musician - if you only plan to buy one album this year - this should be it!



Posted by Emi in Boston, MA USA @ 17:07 on Feb 28 2008

This album reached me across the Atlantic and I'm so glad it did. In fact, I'm thankful for it. I play it non-stop. It's good to blast really loud on a sunny day, or have on low for thoughtful, cloudy days. The underlying life stories put to soulful, heartfelt music totally works for me. Blessings to one and all.



Posted by Bruce Clewett in Austria @ 09:28 on Feb 28 2008

I can only agree with Mike. Great album!



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