Johnsmith - Gravity Of Grace (Blue Pine Music) Gravity And Grace is Iowa born John Smith’s sixth solo release. It’s a warm, inviting, organic sounding disc that draws the listener into Smith’s world. Built around John’s excellent acoustic guitar, and homely vocals, the twelve self penned songs (as well as a cover of Dylan’s “Times They Are A Changin’”) display a storytelling, country, folk and blues, sensibility that draws the audience in. Born into a large Irish Catholic family, his past includes a short college stint in Southern California, a hippy farm in Iowa and time spent in Colorado. John now resides along the upper Mississippi in Western Wisconsin. His sound has been honed by two decades of playing festivals, halls, coffee houses, bars and the like. Smith has built a solid fan base in the USA and abroad, particularly in Ireland where he tours regularly. His résumé includes being a former winner of the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festivals ‘New Folk’ competition. The songs on Gravity sound earthy and roots(y). Picking out some songs at random; “Ring That Bell” has a gospel vibe featuring great harmonica and banjo fills. Opener, “Right Into Love”, is a nostalgic ‘travelling’ song about his former self and girlfriend companion; ‘We were the quintessential counterculture hippy pair’. The detailed storytelling, evident in this track, puts the listener into a convincing setting. The writing skills, demonstrated throughout, convince me that John Smith is the ‘real deal.’ Smith’s songs are framed by several big hitters who have presumably befriended him along the way. The likes of the excellent Tim O’Brien, Darrell Scott and Ray Bonneville help to colour these songs in a tasteful understated way. I like this record a lot. Buy with confidence - 8/10. http://johnsmithmusic.com/ John Brindle Next