Josh Johnstone – Call in Whispers

‘Call in Whispers’ is the long awaited debut album from Australian singer/songwriter Josh Johnstone. The 10 track album features the songs: Walls, Rain Dancer, Front Light, Change Like The Weather and Brave Tin Soldiers.

CD review by Tony Smith

This colourfully presented album has ten tracks written mainly by Josh Johnstone.

‘Only Way I Know’ was co-written with Steve Parkin and ‘Castaways’ with Joel Quartermain.

Mainly, the tracks on this album express some deeply personal observation by Johnstone.

On ‘Walls’ and ‘Change like the Weather’, there is a Paul Kelly like approach.

In ‘Brave Tin Soldiers’ he asks ‘who are you? You remind me of me’.

This is pretty much typical of the self-reflection in these tracks, placing them broadly in the ‘blues’ category’.

‘Rain Dancer’ suggests and expresses a kind of nonchalance.

When you ‘Call in Whispers’ – we can’t hear you now – has some nice guitar work.

‘Front Light’ is in a road rhythm and suggestive of coming home towards that light.

‘Radiate’ is a good title for a song about a ‘little girl’ and ‘little things’ that shine.

‘She’s A Hurricane’ seems to be about the winds of change and how mercurial a girl can be.

‘The Only Way I Know’ begins with a chant ‘oh oh uh oh’ and goes on to warn that ‘the way I love you is not easy/ it’s the only way I know’.

‘Castaways’ begins with whistles.

It mentions a lazy bones and the attitude that things can wait ‘till another day, drifting along.

Josh and Joel play ‘all instruments’ and are joined by Lee Jones (slide guitar) and Steve Parkin, Wally Howlett and Robbie Elliott provide backing vocals.

Production was by Quartermain at Wastelands Studios in Fremantle and the album was mastered at Stirling Sound in New York.

The result is a pleasant sounding album of original tracks.