I miss the 1990’s where bands like the Gin Blossoms, New Radicals, Dishwalla, and Tal Bachman would write feelgood songs that would cause you to roll the windows down, find a destination to nowhere in particular, and call up some friends for that spontaneous roadtrip for that new adventure in life. Mississippi natives Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights are bringing back that feeling with their brand of “power pop/rock” with their EP offering entitled “Give Up The Ghost”, which was released in May.
Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights are composed of Paul Johnson on vocals/guitars, Zack Lewis on drums, Daniel Williamson on guitars, and Jordan May on bass/keyboards. Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights set out a mission to kind of break away from the “southern rock” trends that became all-too stereotypical for a band that was born in the Deep South and they decide to create that feelgood rock vibe! This EP starts off with a track entitled “Underachiever”. “Underachiever” talks about living for the moment instead of living in the constant pressures of obtaining those perfect grades in school or jumping through those brass rings that the boss constantly sets out for us. I immediately notice Paul Johnson’s soulful vocals, with the emphasis on the “power” in the guitars and that rhythm section that causes heads to nod, fists in the air, and causes you to step on the gas pedal a little bit harder.
Anthem and arena rock ready melodies are clearly evident in “Burn It Down”. The chorus is infectious, and based upon the outro, I can see this song easily translate to the live performance. This song is packed full of energy, allows for moments of audience participation where the audience is completely engaged, and an infectious, catchy chorus which gets ingrained in the listener’s head. “American Story (Adrenaline)” talks about that girl next door that has a bit of a wild side to her, yet you can somehow bring her home to your strict parents. It has such an upbeat drive to that song, where the rhythm of the song is more uptempo, and the guitars are a little bit louder, which is a great blending of the classic rock feelings, and the 1980’s guitar rock ala an edgier Bryan Adams or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, which has great storytelling in the lyrics to boot. “Hollywood” tells a wonderful story that is a tad blues tinged and has a bit of a southern rock feel to it where it talks about not wanting to leave the roots of the hometown and main street in favor of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. It proclaims Paul Johnson And The About Last Night’s love for Dixieland and love for Mississippi and the South.
Overall, this is a really solid EP for the listener to delve in to what Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights are all about. It is refreshing to hear some radio friendly music that has some really nice substance to it that can appeal to classic rock fans that are yearning for that new band to hang their hat onto. Look no further than “Give Up The Ghost” EP by Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights. They even throw their own little twist on their cover of “Missing You”, which is originally done by John Waite. For this, I give the EP a solid 8 out of 10 stars, it leaves the listener wanting more and its the type of music where you head onto that unknown destination for the sole purpose of celebrating life. Let this soundtrack be a part of that celebration of life! Here is the track listing below.
“Give Up The Ghost” by Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights
- “Underachiever”
- “Burn It Down”
- “American Story (Adrenaline)”
- “Hollywood”
- “Missing You” (bonus digital only cover by John Waite)
“Burn It Down” by Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights
“Missing You” by Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights
Check out Paul Johnson And The About Last Nights at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/pauljohnsonandtheaboutlastnights
