Fans of the Oxnard punk band The Way likely already know that singer Johnny Flores is putting out a solo acoustic ep project called JohnnyBoy, which in many ways parallels what Mike Ness of Social Distortion has done. Of course, The Way has been compared to Social Distortion at times, so this may make even more sense in that respect.
Striking out on his own, basically just a guy and his guitar is how Innocent is presented to the listener. From a technical point, as one might expect, the mix is very good, but then again is just vocals and guitar. The vocals are crisp and clear and the acoustic guitar blends perfectly. That being said, it just doesn’t seem to have that live feeling to it like 6’10” managed to capture in their Humble Beginnings of a Rovin’ Soul or Start Again by label mate Sef Idle. “The Coming Storm” and “Innocent” do contain some effects on the guitars that for the most part seem a bit out of place and at least on “Innocent” do take away some from the overall impact of the song until the muted drums and percussion come in.
For the most part, these are heartfelt songs describing the daily struggles of being a Christian in the world today and as such are certainly things every Christian can relate. Those familiar with The Way will certainly hear familiar sounds, especially in the opening guitar of “Looking Back” which sounds as if it could be one of the Way’s new songs. Along those lines, one almost waits for the rest of the band to come in from time to time throughout the ep. One other aspect to the songs on Innocent is the random, somewhat odd phrasing that happens in some of the Way songs. The album closes with “More and More” which has a bit of a brighter tone and feel than the other songs on the album and is essentially a prayer and song of praise. Unfortunately, here again there are some additions to the sound that end up being a bit distracting, in this case some overly loud finger snapping .
This is one of the contemplative, relaxing collection of songs that will get the listener to a calmer place and one that fosters introspection. Not only Christians but anyone looking to live as a better person can relate to much of the content presented here, so in that sense the album works very well.
Rating: 6.5/10
Written by John Jackson
Tracklist:
1. Looking Back
2. The Coming Storm
3. Human Nature
4. I Keep Falling
5. Innocent
6. More and More
Band Members:
Johnny Flores – Vocals, guitars
Record Label: Thumperpunk Records, Sept. 2015
Reverbnation song post for ‘More and More’: reverbnation.com/q/6635sx
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission